Last September Dean Camilleri staged a hunger strike in front of Castille to protest against noise pollution in Pembroke. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

The Pembroke man who went on a hunger strike last September to protest against noise pollution has finally had a meeting with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to discuss the matter – but insists residents are still suffering “mental torture”.

In a letter to Dr Muscat two months ago, Dean Camilleri, 31, insisted that amplified music from a St George’s Bay establishment was still making his and other residents’ life a misery seven months after he held a brief protest on the steps of the Auberge de Castille.

Mr Camilleri’s protest only lasted a few minutes as he had been called to the Prime Minister’s office and informed that the matter would be tackled.

In his letter, seen by this newspaper, Mr Camilleri told the Prime Minister that the noise pollution was resulting in countless sleepless nights, directly impacting his mental well-being.

“This must be treated as a social emergency. It has been going on for far too long and is tantamount to mental torture. How much of this severe abuse can one person take?” he wrote.

Mr Camilleri told the Times of Malta that Dr Muscat had agreed to meet with him but came up with no immediate solution to the problem.

“Dr Muscat said there was the possibility of introducing technology that shuts off the music once it exceeds a certain threshold but that is not something we are going to see soon,” he said.

In his letter, Mr Camilleri insisted on a tangible and immediate solution, “Otherwise I will be left with no choice but to publically declare a total failure by the government in its ability to protect citizens”.

He had said that if no solution was found, he would be forced to resume his hunger strike, “this time for as long as a tangible solution is found”.

A review of the noise generated by St George’s Bay entertainment venues, conducted by the Noise Abatement Society of Malta last year, recorded noise levels which were more than a third higher than what the World Health Organisation considers to be acceptable.

John Fenech, who heads the association, conducted the survey several months ago and explained his findings to this newspaper. He said he had recorded noise levels of nearly 80dB, some 30 per cent higher than the 60dB the WHO insists should be the absolute limit in residential areas.

The sound was recorded at different times in the evening at an irate resident’s apartment block.