A surprise inspection at the busy touristic square of Buġibba on Saturday evening resulted in a number of menu boards being removed from restaurants because they were placed on public land without permission.

A spokesman for the Parliamentary Secretariat for Land said the government was very satisfied that infringements were minimal.

He said a number of "educational visits" carried out over the past few weeks had made restaurant owners more aware of the rules of encroachment and less likely to abuse.

"We visited the area about four times in the past month, giving warnings to establishment owners to regularise their positions. We have done this in many other places around the island during this busy summer period. Our work is starting to bear fruit," the spokesman said.

The inspection was carried out together with the police and the Malta Tourism Authority at about 8 p.m. on Saturday.

The spokesman said this summer the work of the department yielded many positive results including at the Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq caravan site and Għadira beach.