The figure represents a grand total of two individuals caught in the act each week, an abysmal sum considering the heaps of clutter found on both the streets and scattered across the countryside.

As a result, local councils are effectively depriving themselves of what could potentially constitute a rather lucrative source of revenue, while at the same time tackling the unsavoury and infamous litter problem – Malta's main eyesore to both visitors and the Maltese alike.

Unfortunately, a loophole in the law applicable to littering still prevails, making it difficult for wardens to impose fines on litter louts. As the law currently stands, a warden has to catch someone ‘red-handed' in order to be able to impose a fine.

Since their conception, wardens have faced an onslaught of verbal abuse while carrying out their duties. A fact that raises speculation to the effect that wardens are more willing to issue non-confrontational parking tickets than to apprehend irresponsible littering.

Additionally, there have also been a few isolated incidents of physical abuse carried out against wardens but the aggressors were consequently arraigned in court by the police.

A total of 72 breaches of littering contraventions, an average of six per week, were recorded in 1999 - the highest in five years - while the lowest was in 1996, with a mere 31 (2.5 per week).