The police scrambled to a housing estate in Żabbar yesterday morning after they received a call from a man who said he was about to kill his children.

They were on site in minutes, fearing the worst. But when they arrived, they found a 62-year-old man who evidently did not mean to kill anyone but was simply furious at his two grown-up sons.

It is understood the man told the police he had had enough of his two sons, 31 and 19, asking him for money. In fact, an argument had erupted that same day when he refused to hand them any money. A few household items were thrown around, hitting nobody, and he stormed out of the apartment. It was then that he called the police telling them: "You'd better come here because I'm going to kill my children".

Eventually, he calmed down and was escorted back inside and the police acted as pacifiers with his sons.