'Tis the season of Christmas shopping... unless you're the owner of one of a handful of shops along Merchants Street. 

Shop owners along a stretch of the busy Valletta shopping street were stunned on Sunday morning to discover a massive crane on their doorsteps, blocking access to their stores during one of the year's busiest shopping periods. 

"As can be seen in the photos, clients cannot go through [to shops]," fumed one of the affected business owners.  

Anastasi Panini owner Dominic Anastasi said the crane was, ironically, there to dismantle a tower crane on the corner of Merchants street and St John street. 

"We were given no warning beforehand," he told the Times of Malta. "We were told they arrived at 5am to set up, and police informed us they have permits to be here till 5pm."

Earlier this month, the Times of Malta reported that Valletta 2018 organisers had given developers until December 15 to remove all heavy machinery, including cranes, from the capital. 

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Police are on-site as the works proceed.