Sliema Local Council said today it had had a fruitful meeting with the police about a spate of burglaries in the locality.

"We have agreed on a number of recommendations which we are now working to implement," the council said without elaborating.

It called on residents to report any suspicious activity in as much detail as possible, directly to the police on telephone number 21224001, since in these situations, the response time is important.

Theft cases from Sliema houses this year have almost equalled the number of break-ins for the whole of 2013.

There were 29 reported burglaries from occupied dwellings in Sliema between January and June, contrasting with 33 cases last year.

The Sunday Times of Malta reported last week that Sliema residents were concerned they were being targeted by thieves following a spate of reported thefts from homes.

When asked if the police are upping surveillance in the area, a spokesman said: “Proactive action is indeed being taken with more patrols, particularly on weekends by the Rapid Intervention Unit, the Criminal Investigation Department and district police.”