More than 20 cars were vandalised this month in Swieqi, which remains the largest locality without a police presence.

Police yesterday confirmed that 16 cars had been targeted since the beginning of last weekend.

Residents whose vehicles were attacked three weeks ago said the damage ranged from trampled bonnets and scratched doors to broken side view mirrors.

“I found both my mirrors broken and my neighbour found three of his tyres slashed.

“Great way to wake up in the morning, with your car in tatters,” said resident Natasha Xuereb.

Other irate residents vented their frustration on social media yesterday as two of the locality’s main streets, Swieqi Road and Triq il-Ħemel, were littered with damaged cars.

Anna Camilleri said she had changed her mirror six times in the past two years and yesterday found a dent and set of shoe prints on the roof of her car.

The acts seem to mirror those of last April when 20 cars were scratched, sprayed with paint or had their mirrors broken.

Swieqi mayor Noel Muscat said he was outraged by the attacks as well as by the lack of police surveillance.

“This situation has been escalating for some time now. It’s become unbearable. This is made worse by the fact that the police are still completely non-existent in Swieqi,” he said. He would be meeting with the authorities today to try and find a solution.

The mayor said regular patrols were needed to deter vandals.

“I expect to have police officers roaming the streets on Segways. These need to be regular and at the time of night people come back from Paceville,” he said.

The nightlife mecca attracts thousands of revellers, many of which spill over into neighbouring Swieqi.

The locality was meant to have its own police station but Mr Muscat said the council had no idea why it had remained closed.

The station, meant to be housed in the Swieqi Civic Centre, received its second inauguration last month since it was first opened by former prime minister Lawrence Gonzi back in 2013, after which it stayed empty.

Mr Muscat said he had no information on when the police station would finally open, despite Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia expressing his commitment to see the site operational. A ministry spokeswoman said the station was expected to open soon.

A computer system was currently being installed, she said.

At present, the locality falls under the St Julian’s precinct, which Mr Muscat argues has its hands full patrolling clubbing hub Paceville.

Last year, the area was dubbed the island’s crime capital. It had suffered the highest number of robberies, muggings and acts of vandalism on the island.