Seven young men, aged between 15 and 25, yesterday admitted to forming part of a gang that harassed and attacked people without provocation in the area between Gżira and Sliema.

The eldest two gang members were each given a six-month jail term suspended for a year while the rest of the group, who are minors, were put on probation for up to three years.

"I'm very tempted to throw you all in prison... I warn you, if it so much as crosses your minds to repeat this sort of charade, it will be rocket-speed to Corradino (Correctional Facility)," said Magistrate Antonio Mizzi.

The young men stood quietly in the dock of the court room that was brimming with concerned parents and relatives. After the arraignment, the parents of one of the boys went up to the police officers to thank them.

The group, all from Gżira and Msida, were charged with threatening and harassing passers-by and forming part of a group to commit a crime on four separate occasions between April 21 and 26.

Not all seven were involved in the four cases except for Andrea Skotadis, 19, who was given a six-month suspended jail term together with Raymond Gatt, 25, who was involved in three of the incidents.

Charges pressed against Mr Gatt and Mr Skotadis, together with a 17 and 16-year-old, included slightly injuring people, including tourists. The two minors were put on probation for three years.

The rest of the gang - two 17-year-olds and a 15-year-old - were put on probation for a year for their involvement, which did not include assault.

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves. Apart from the serious nature of what you've done, you've damaged the reputation of Malta abroad since some of the victims were foreign," Magistrate Mizzi said.

The gang's presence made headlines last week when The Times reported the accounts of two victims.

A 24-year-old man was walking with his girlfriend on the Gżira front when he was asked the time.

"I told them I didn't have the time because I didn't wear a watch and before I knew it they had punched me in the face and knocked me out on the ground," he said.

Another victim was walking his girlfriend home when someone tripped him. "When I got up I tried to walk off but they got even more aggressive and pushed me to the ground and started to kick me," he said.

The presence of the gang led police to carry out frequent patrols in the area. Further investigations may lead to more arraignments, sources said.

Police Inspectors Anna Marie Micallef and Jesmond Micallef prosecuted.

Lawyers Yana Micallef Stafrace, Chris Bonnet, Charlene Briffa, Ian Farrugia and Malcolm Mifsud represented the men.