“Institutional bodies” were needed to monitor dangerous public and private structures for safety on a daily basis, to preempt incidents, the Sliema council said.

Referring to an incident on Tuesday which saw a balcony in Hughes Hallet Street collapsing, the council proposed that a monitoring set-up should be explored by the Building Regulations Board.

It said it offered its full support to the necessary reforms needed in this area.

The council said it was grateful that no one was injured in the balcony incident, which, it said, should serve as a wake-up call to owners of properties which had not been maintained for some time.

It was is the property owner’s legal responsibility to maintain their property in a proper condition, the council said.