An Armed Forces patrol boat scoured the waters around Comino yesterday after two men on a boat reported seeing a large fish which they believed was a shark.

The men spotted the fish at around noon yesterday in the popular diving area around Il-Ponta l-Irqieqa. They said the 'shark' was within 20 yards of them and its white belly was clearly visible.

The search by the AFM crew, however, proved inconclusive.

However, the police issued a statement advising the public to take all the necessary precautions, prompting people browsing timesofmalta.com to ask what precautions they should take.

Shark sightings are rare in Malta and there is only one recorded fatal attack in recent history.

In 1956, Briton Jack Smedley was killed by what is thought to be a Great White while swimming off St Thomas Bay.

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