The replacement of missing sand in an area of Għadira has received the green light from the planning authority and should be poured into the rocky gap in the beach by tomorrow, the Mellieħa mayor said yesterday.

The operators of the adjacent outlet had been complaining about the nearby sand erosion and the danger it caused by exposing stones they maintained did not belong to the area.

Last Tuesday, mayor Robert Cutajar said the sand would be replaced within 48 hours, although he insisted it would only be a temporary measure and that the problem was likely to arise within weeks.

Instead of more sand, however, he went a step further and officials of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority visited the site to determine whether to first remove the rocks the operators were complaining about. "I wanted to be sure the experts were on board to see whether the stones could be removed," he said.

Partners Gordon Camenzuli and Andrè Adams, who have dubbed Għadira the "death beach", maintained that children could easily trip in the stones, saying they presented a health hazard and adding that their Big Blue beach had turned into a clinic.

Mr Cutajar said Mepa’s Environment Directorate yesterday confirmed its acceptance of the proposal to put more sand, adding that only the stones that were obviously alien to the area, such as limestone slabs, could be removed. Those that formed part of an underlying old road, which were slowly being exposed as the beach was eroded, could not be touched.

It was also unlikely that the rusty pipes emerging from the sea could be removed, at least not completely because it was unknown how far into the beach they extended, Mr Cutajar said.

He said Mepa was still exploring a long-term solution to the problem, which he believed would only be resolved by the pending plan to remove Marfa Road alongside the beach and construct another further inland.

Random inspections by the Malta Tourism Authority and the Land Department have been carried out at Għadira to check that establishments and kiosks were complying with their obligations and would not feel they could get away with doing whatever suited them.