A fireworks maker who let off fireworks on the same night the Royal Malta Golf Club caught fire has insisted that none of its petards fell on the clubhouse in Marsa.

The St Sebastian Fireworks Factory said in a statement yesterday that this could be confirmed by its members and the thousands of people who watched the fireworks display last Saturday.

Last Tuesday, the Marsa Sports Club, which hosts the golf club, filed a court application to stop another fireworks maker from letting off fireworks for the St Venera feast. The request was turned down by court.

The club had said that on July 18 at around 10.30 p.m., a petard fell on the roof of the locker room and everything caught fire. Some €200,000 worth of golf clubs and shoes were destroyed while structural damage was expected to cost an additional €80,000. The St Sebastian Fireworks Factory has contested this, saying no petards fell on the locker room.

When contacted, factory secretary Jesmond Aquilina, who is also the Qormi mayor, said although burning debris could cause fires and there were burn marks in the turf in other areas, there were no marks close to the locker room.

Contacted yesterday, club acting secretary Albert Bonello said he did not know whether there were any burn marks close to the locker room, which is being extended. "An inquiry is underway," he said.

But Mr Bonello, who was there on the night, said the area had been showered with debris, including pieces of cardboard which were still burning when they hit the ground, as well as burning patches of grass.

Over the weekend, the club's staff also found a foot-long piece of twisted metal on its grounds.

"Had it hit someone, it could have killed him," Mr Bonello said.

Mr Aquilina said it could be that a piece of metal was fired into the air with the petards, adding that this was why people should not stand too close to fireworks.