Some time ago, louts vandalised the Naxxar playground and razed the swings to the ground. So the Naxxar local council, after re-doing the whole playground and the football pitch from scratch, decided, rightly, to install security cameras so that a watchful eye could be kept on it at all times.

This upgrade, however, has come at a cost to the children and youths who use the football pitch, but mostly to the students attending the schools nearby. Whereas before they used to go to the pitch and practise football and other sports in their free time between lessons, now this can only be done between 3 and 4 p.m. Other times have to be pre-booked at the local council office against a fee of some €23.00.

And we want to encourage our youths to be active and fight obesity? Fat chance.