Marsaxlokk stall owners were called to a meeting with senior police officers at Zejtun police station today after a number of them this morning defied orders and set up their stalls on the recently repaved part of the promenade.

Informed sources said arguments flared between policemen and six stall owners when they set up their stalls at about 7.30 a.m. However the stalls were not removed. The meeting was called late in the morning and was heated at times.

The open market over the past few weeks was set up on another part of the promenade while works were in hand.

While authorisation to return to the old site has not been given yet - because the works are not ready - a number of restaurants have also set up tables and chairs on the sections of the promenade which have been nearly completed.

The Resources Ministry said last week that the stall owners would be able to return to their old places once works were completed, but they would not be allowed to drive their vans onto the promenade.

Today was the first time that the stalls were set up at Marsaxlokk after the village feast.

Following their meeting with the police, the stall owners said they had agreed not to set up their stalls at their old places tomorrow pending another meeting with police officials.

They insisted, however, that the stalls should be allowed to return to those areas of the promenade which had been completed.

The owners said some of them had decided to return to their old places today because restaurant owners had already been allowed to use the promenade. They insisted that they had observed an agreement with the Resources Ministry not to drive their vans on the promenade, and they had placed rubber under their stalls so as not to damage the stonework.