Opposition home affairs spokesman Jason Azzopardi said this evening that it was unprecedented, at least since 1987, that the members of the police force were on stop leave for five months.

He made his comment when Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia confirmed in reply to a written parliamentary question that there was stop leave between April and August.

Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis, who replied to supplementary questions in lieu of the Dr Mallia, said the stop leave was required because of the exigencies of the service.

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