Access to the Paola market was closed on Wednesday, the mayor saying residents were tired of vendors leaving a mess behind.

The council had first threatened to bar access to the market in a letter sent to several Cabinet members on November 1, in which it highlighted concerns about the “environmental disaster” vendors were leaving behind.

In the letter, the council warned that it would close access to the market unless the situation was resolved within 10 days. Every week, taxpayers’ money was being used to clean the mess left by market vendors, the council said.

“The situation is so acute that even the Cleansing Department has had to send workers, paid for by taxpayers, to clean up the mess,” it noted.

Apart from environmental issues, the council said it was worried about overcrowding at the market, with more stalls being set up than the area could cater for. This was causing security issues for vendors, residents and those visiting the market, the council said.

The letter was sent to Health Minister Chris Fearne, Economy Minister Chris Cardona, Justice Minister Owen Bonnici and the Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government, Silvio Parnis.

In a social media post on Tuesday evening, the council said it would be following through with its threat to temporarily shut off access to the market.

No remedy to the problems had been found, it told residents, although the director of the Local Enforcement System Agency had pledged to try to step up enforcement.

“We are tired of hearing people crying,” the mayor said, adding the council was there to ensure there would no longer be a “jungle” in the area.

Many residents supported the council’s decision, though others lamented that vendors had been left empty-handed for the day.

The council said it had no intention of closing the market permanently, adding it hoped enforcement would be in place soon.

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