The father of a British motorcyclist who died last Friday after a traffic accident was unaware his son had changed name and wants him to be buried under his 'real' name.
On September 26, a 47-year-old man, registered as Anthony Smith, was critically injured in a head-on collision with a car in Rabat Road, Gozo.
But as Michael Barnes flew to Malta to be beside his dying son he found out the victim and his partner had long changed their names.
When contacted, the victim's father said: "The grief of losing my son, Andrew Keith Barnes, is compounded by the fact that his burial would take place in the name of a stranger and break all our hearts here in England.
"We are adamant Andrew must be buried under his real name and not that fictitious one of Anthony Smith," he told The Sunday Times from his home in the UK.
Mr Barnes said he received a phone call last Sunday at 8 a.m. informing him his son had been involved in a traffic accident the night before.
The following morning he boarded a flight to Malta with one of his three daughters and ex-wife. They headed straight to Mater Dei Hospital where they confirmed the man was really Andrew Keith Barnes.
"That was my son in hospital... We said our goodbyes on Tuesday," his father said. He explained that Andrew was born in Winchester on May 3, 1962, and was the second of four children.
"After he married Sarah Poyntze, they moved to Malta about five years ago and, for reasons known only to them, changed their names.
"We, the family here in England, would like friends and family to read about his death and say their goodbyes to Andrew Barnes. It's his birthright," his father said.
Andrew Barnes' stepmother, Kate, added: "I'm not sure why he and his wife used a different name. We don't know anything... If there were any fraudulent affairs, they should be looked into."
Sources said police had investigated the case and it emerged that the couple had legally changed their names in the UK. There are no indications that the victim was involved in any fraudulent activities.