Labour MP Joe Debono Grech said this evening that Birkirkara was being insulted by the shifting of the historic cross near Mater Dei Hospital and the locality's five MPs should together insist that it should be placed back where it was.

Mr Debono Grech said in Parliament that no official reason had been given for the shifting of the historic stone cross, known as Rajt ma Rajtx, Smajt Ma Smajtx (believed to have been built on the scene of a murder some 300 years ago).

This cross, he said, had historically delineated Birkirkara's boundaries. It seemed, however, that somebody did not want Mater Dei Hospital to be listed within Birkirkara's boundaries, even though it was built mostly on land which belonged to the Birkirkara church.

It was bad enough, Mr Debono Grech said, that the Curia had broken up Birkirkara inso five so-called parishes which did not even have enough priests for their needs, but process should not, now, be continued by the state authorities.

The area of Mater Dei Hospital, he insisted, was part of Birkirkara, not San Gwann or Msida, and the locality's MPs should insist that the cross should be placed back where it was.