How did they let this happen?

Well, let me rephrase that - I knew that I would find lots of caravans and a veritable shanty town of "boathouses" but the reality of it was even worse than what I had initially envisaged.

After ordering our meal my kids and I took a stroll on the beach. As I looked out towards the sea I was blown away by the sheer beauty of the scenery, with gorgeous views of Comino and Gozo across shimmering blue waters.

Turning inland, however, was a totally different story.

A number of caravans have totally taken over the seafront, turning the railings of what I imagine was once a promenade into a green steel fence delineating the boundary of their "property". Clearly these structures have been there for years, and have taken on the solidity of permanent structures. I peered into the "porches" of these mobile homes and was astounded to see entire open-air kitchens, in one case complete with a TV set, refrigerator, stove and even a big UFO-shaped griglioso. Clearly these huts are provisioned with water, electricity and all mod cons.

In other "front porches" bare-chested, big-bellied men powered up their barbecues, swigged beer and listened to music blaring out of their portable stereos - contributing to the general hullaballoo and seedy atmosphere pervading the area.

I could not help but wonder how on earth all those people could bear to live in those conditions for weeks, if not months on end. The noise and the filth would drive me crazy.

Just a hundred metres or so further up the coast, however, the picture was a little rosier. One particular "boathouse", for example, was a fully detached bungalow perched on the edge of a rocky beach, complete with a walled garden and a tree growing near the front door. If that bungalow were built legally then it would be worth millions, due to its unique location and the truly spectacular views. That said, given the scandalous agreement that both political parties have in place with the Armier lobby, I bet that it is worth millions, even though the "owners" have no right to it whatsoever.

For a moment the sheer audacity of these people took my breath away. They had turned the beach into a sandy Maltese favela, and were doing so in complete and total disrespect of the law, with the blessing of both the PN and the PL!

Something similar is apparently also happening in Marsaxlokk, where a tent shanty town has sprung up on the beach. Footage of the reaction of the "happy campers" when some locals protested peacefully at the way the beach had been taken over clearly shows how these people are getting away with their atrocious behaviour. These bullies have no problem resorting to violence and intimidation, even when cameras are pointed in their direction recording their behaviour.

This is what the inaction of the authorities has led us to. After years of getting away with abusing the system, these people have come to believe that encroaching on public property is now their right. In fact they have come to view people who try to access the beaches they have taken over as trespassers, to be chased away with physical violence.

Photos of the men laughing outside the courthouse after they had their wrists slapped and their wallets lightened by €60 led to a tsunami of outrage. How can these people get away with it, people asked?

Simple. They get away with it because they have a vote, and in this country where governments are lost and won on just a few hundred votes, every single vote counts. Yes, even the vote of convicted criminals with a suspended sentence.

At the end of the day I suppose that it is our fault, really. We are the ones who allow the politicians to get away with pandering to these miscreants. As far as I'm concerned I am disgusted by the whole situation and I find it unbelievable that neither party has the cojones to take the bull by the horns and resolve the situation once and for all.

You know what I would do if I were Prime Minister for a day? I would draw up a contract giving these squatters a 25-year lease for their "boathouse". The rent charged for the 25 years would be put aside to fund the bulldozing and embellishment of the area the second the 25 years are up. I would give the lobbies representing these "communities" one week to sign up; failing which all squatters would be evicted immediately.

Unfortunately, I very much doubt that this proposal would have won me an iPad and a day full of photo opportunities...