A few days after a family found themselves locked in the Mdina Ditch garden at night, signs have been erected informing visitors of the closing time.

A spokeswoman for the Rehabilitation Projects Office, which manages the ditch, told the Times of Malta yesterday that temporary signs had previously been put in place, but were later removed by unknown individuals.

The signs were reinstalled on Monday evening, according to the spokeswoman, a few hours after the family’s story appeared in this newspaper. “In the meantime, a new holistic signage system is being designed for the entire ditch. In fact, a call for quotations will be issued shortly,” the spokeswoman said.

Father of two Joseph Grech told this newspaper that he and his family had been locked in the ditch last Thursday when they headed down for a stroll at about 10.45pm, after dinner at a nearby restaurant.

When the group reached the exit by the Greek Gate, they found it locked shut. Turning back towards the other two exits, they found those locked as well.

“There is no other way to get out unless one clambers over the high railings and gates at the top of the ditch,” Mr Grech said.

The family eventually had to leave the ditch through a private passageway with the assistance of staff from the restaurant.

“The watchman does not even bother to walk through the ditch to check whether there are people still there. He just arrives, locks up and leaves,” Mr Grech said.

“Neither is there a PA system for him to announce that the ditch would be closed in a few minutes’ time.”

This is not the first time that people have found themselves in a similar situation. Commenting on the story online, one person said she was locked in the ditch at around 1am, and had to shout for help as she had no mobile phone.