A surge in vandalism and theft has been reported by the Environmental Landscapes Consortium at several of its project sites.

Several thousands liri worth of plants were recently stolen from the De Rohan area in Żebbuġ, Mtarfa bypass, the Buqanna Roundabout, Blata l-Bajda and the Council of Europe Road, Santa Luċija, the ELC said in a statement. Expensive wooden stakes, which held up the newly planted Ficus trees along the stretch from Pietà to Floriana, were also stolen, as were the Christmas festive lights at the St Venera bypass.

Organised deposits of rubbish and human excrement have been dumped around the Airforce Memorial, outside City Gate, while all the big reflector floodlights around the monuments were also stolen.

The ELC management expressed concern over motives which could have prompted these acts. The management called for an increase of police surveillance and security cameras wherever possible to put a stop to these unlawful acts.

In spite of these events, the ELC said it would not give up on its embellishment projects and was, in fact, expanding its activities through the upcoming Tal-Qroqq Skate Park, the Magħtab landfill, the Ta' Qali Park, and in Gozo, where several areas were being landscaped.