A relaxing week in Malta turned into a nightmare for a mother and daughter who found themselves in what they described as a “drug-fuelled frenzy” due to the Lost and Found festival.

The two said they experienced a “devastating” situation after the hotel they were staying in was taken over by teenagers who travelled to Malta for the festival weekend.

The annual rave has become a hotspot for party-goers but many have lamented the youngsters that descended upon the streets of St Paul’s Bay were only interested in debauchery.

Christine Goodaire, who was raised in Malta but resides in the UK, said she found the Qawra Palace Hotel occupied by young people who, she claimed, were openly taking drugs. 

“We booked with the notion we would have seven wonderful days of peace and tranquillity but, unfortunately, our dreams were unexpectedly shattered when we saw our hotel overrun by teenagers,” she told the Times of Malta.

Footage seen by the Times of Malta shows people laying poolside and appearing to be inhaling air from balloons. 

Reports have recently emerged of Buġibba and St Paul’s Bay residents raising the alarm over consumption of nitrous oxide, which is often found in balloons and party cannisters.

Ms Goodaire said it seemed to her the hotel was not interested in dealing with the rowdy teenagers, adding the management insisted they “did not know how to prove” drug use.

Hotel general manager Tony Alamango said there was “definitely” no people taking drugs at their property, adding that the establishment beefed up security personnel prior to the festival.

Duty managers were always on site, he said. The fact that there were teenagers who were “a little bit loud” was to be expected but it was very far-fetched to say there was use of drugs, Mr Alamango said.

When he was told about the footage that appeared to indicate drug use, Mr Alamango pointed out that the managers would have intervened had they realised something was wrong.