I welcome the recent announcement of a consultation on a review of waste management, with particular reference to littering and domestic waste.

In parts of Sliema there are large blocks of flats, many of which are on short lets or let out to students, many of whom put rubbish out 24 hours or more before the allotted time. Increasing fines is a sensible approach but the biggest problem will be enforcement.

As a regular visitor to Malta I have been impressed recently by the displays of flowers decorating roundabouts and roads in towns and villages.

In the context of the above, I passed below the Bank of Valletta in Balluta on May 19 at 9.30am and saw a pile of rubbish, some of which had already spilled out of bags (see photograph). This included beer and wine bottles and cardboard boxes, almost certainly dumped there by one or more of the bars/restaurants in the street below Balluta Buildings.

I sent an e-mail to St Julian’s council on May 21 enclosing a photograph and also commenting on the poor state of the tubs and verges beside the Neptunes Waterpolo Club. Dead flowers and plants and many weeds – a  poor reflection on the council.

Having received no reply by the Friday I rang the council to be told that it was being dealt with and I would be informed of progress. To date I have received no update.

On May 29 at 7.30pm I went to the bottle bank in Balluta to find it overflowing and about 50 bottles beside it. This was potentially dangerous to pedestrians and motorists, but why had the bottle bank not been emptied by the council before matters reached this point?

I e-mailed the council on May 30 to complain. To date I have received no reply, not even an acknowledgement to my e-mail. If councils do not take responsibility for their rubbish collection it is not surprising that individuals and businesses flout the law.