The police are investigating two fires that engulfed a coffee shop and a restaurant in separate incidents early yesterday morning.

The police said they were informed that a fire alarm had gone off at the Main Street shopping complex in Antoine De Paule Square, Paola, at about 12.45 a.m.

The fire alarm automatically dials the police station round the corner.

When the police arrived at the closed shopping mall they saw smoke coming from the South End Café Bar, situated on the third floor. They immediately called firemen to tackle the blaze which, according to sources, was quite bad.

The police had to wait a while for the thick smoke to clear before they could enter the coffee shop to check it out after the fire had been put out.

Yesterday morning, the two top floors of the shopping mall remained closed.

The police said they were later informed of another fire at the Al Mare Restaurant in Marsamxett, Valletta at about 2.15 a.m. There, they found tables and chairs outside the restaurant as well as the door and canopy on fire but managed to extinguish the flames using the fire extinguishers they are issued with.

Sources said the fire had not spread into the restaurant by the time the police arrived.

Duty Magistrate Antonio Vella opened an inquiry into the two fires.