Sliema council members are to meet the police this week to discuss the recent break-ins and burglaries in the popular town.

Mayor Anthony Chircop said the council wanted to discuss the way forward after a “spate of thefts”.

“We are obviously very concerned at what is happening as it is affecting our locality, but the council is limited when it comes to law enforcement.”

He appealed to residents to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity and urged them to call the police – not the council, “as that would only delay matters” – if anything seemed out of the ordinary.

Residents have been voicing concerns on Facebook group The Salott, administered by Moira Palmier, who described the situation as “more than worrying”.

“Something has to be done,” she said. Ms Palmier offered the Facebook group as a platform where people could get organised, create awareness or pass on information. “I’m hoping it will help and make a difference,” she explained.

A woman who preferred to remain anonymous said burglars broke into the Sliema apartment belonging to her parents, who are in their mid-80s, last week.

“They went out for dinner with my brother and when they returned their home had been turned upside down,” she said.

What scared them the most was that the doors leading into the block and their apartment were not forced open.

“The locks were not broken and the one leading into their apartment is a security lock so they must have had a key to open it,” the woman said.

Her parents found all their drawers overturned with their contents dumped on the floor. Even her father’s CD collection was strewn on the floor, with all the cases opened as burglars searched for cash.

“They stole my mother’s jewellery and money; they left the apartment in a mess,” she said.

Her parents were not in the habit of going out in the evening and were only away from home for a couple of hours, so “someone must have been watching”, she said.

Her elderly parents are now feeling unsafe in their own home because burglars entered without forcing open the doors.

“It was a massive violation; they are shocked and angry at what happened,” she said.

“I hope the police catch these people before anyone gets hurt,” she added.

Joe Morana, of the Sliema Residents Association, called for stronger police presence on the roads. “We need a more visible presence – we think it is not felt enough”.

He pointed out that Sliema had an ageing population, which made them more vulnerable to criminals. “The association is very concerned about the situation and we want to feel that the police are being more active and close to the people”.

Questions sent to the police last Tuesday about the break-ins remained unanswered.