The owner of Sahara Studios of Msida, sponsor of this year's Malta Fireworks Festival, got the fright of his life yesterday when he found a package which looked like a bomb stuck to the studio's door.

Noel Calleja, who immediately called the police, said yesterday he assumed the package was a bomb because only two days before he had received death threats over the telephone, telling him not to get involved in the festival, organised by the Malta Tourism Authority.

He believes commercial rivalry may be behind the threats.

When he called at work yesterday morning he found the package stuck to the door knob. He immediately called the police who within minutes were on the spot together with the bomb disposal unit.

The studios are in Innocenz Zammit Street, Msida.

The police evacuated the block and carried out a controlled explosion of the package, which turned out to be a stone in a toilet paper roll covered in masking tape.

Mr Calleja said he was now seriously considering whether to sponsor the festival, put up to provide a spectacle over Grand Harbour.

The festival, set against the harbour as a backdrop, is being held for the second consecutive year on May 9 and 10. It is intended to be more spectacular than last year's and 15 of Malta's and Gozo's fireworks factories will be showing off their skills.

Investigations are being led by PS Martin Cordina and PC Anthony Mizzi of Msida.