I refer to the recent trend of local authorities revisiting war shelters dug up for safety during the war. I highly commend this action as it reminds all those interested in our dear history of what our ancestors went through during those hard times. It would also be welcoming if an audiovisual back-up or surround system is introduced to make visitors to these “temples” feel and “relive those harsh moments”.

What I do not concur with, however, is the fact that in some cases the openings at road level, leading to the same shelters, are simply guarded by a brick wall forming a boxed entry which, more often than not, bring with it a lack of safety for motorists and pedestrians alike.

One need only visit Qormi, which suffered a good amount of bombing, considering the number of shelters existing there, to notice the way the entrances to two of these shelters have been constructed (one on a blind corner) and one will surely agree with what I am saying.

The openings are usually found at corners and squares and, apart from looking shabby and ugly, they are simply made up with a few bricks that are not even painted to ensure safety, especially during the night when visibility is bad.

I would like to call upon all those interested parties or organisations which strongly believe in this issue to ensure that whenever such openings are introduced, they are securely covered with either a strong metal door that may be installed flat on the floor, to ensure that neither cars nor people fall inside, or else some other form of cover to ensure security at all times.