Muse café kitchen bar is found in an area of the old town and boasts spectacular panoramic views across both Paphos and the coastline.

It can be a little tricky to find on a first visit, as it’s tucked away down a winding road behind the Paphos Bishopric in Mousallas, but once found, it won’t be forgotten. And don’t be put off by finding that the destination is next to the current roadworks, part of an upgrading programme that is currently underway in Paphos old town.

Since this family-run venue opened a number of years ago, it quickly found a loyal local Cypriot and expat crowd which has continued to grow. All ages frequent Muse whether to enjoy a drink at the outdoor bar during warmer periods, or to soak up the vibrant atmosphere.

The interior and general décor is contemporary, crisp and clean, and a decked sunset vantage point is both romantic and breath-taking.

Open all day, every day (brunch, lunch and dinner), Muse is a wonderful place to meet friends for a coffee or something stronger. The drinks menu is good and signature cocktails are sumptuous and well made. Muse is a great place to take visitors, and as it sits on a hillside overlooking Paphos, steps up from a main street often see visiting ‘explorers’ come across the venue by accident.

Outdoor shades provide protection from the sun and seating consists of both sofas and chairs. The interior is sleek and well designed and complete with an indoor bar. Night time lighting is fashionable and mood enhancing.

Occasional and interesting events are held at Muse and this summer included a tango evening. Details can be found on their Facebook page.
Although this can be a busy venue, there are quieter moments and a visit here can be a relaxing experience. Muse has a real cosmopolitan vibe and there is also free Wi-Fi for those who can’t live for a moment without internet access. Hidden away, it’s a gem for Paphos and recommended to try.

Muse café kitchen bar
Where: Andrea Ioannou, 5, Mousallas, Paphos
When: All day every day
Contact: 26 941951

PAPHOS has been included in a world list of the top one hundred green and sustainable destinations, according to tourism officials.

Head of the Paphos regional board of tourism, Nasos Hadjigeorgiou, said that he was delighted that Paphos had excelled above other candidates of worldwide destinations as one of the Top 100 sustainable destinations.

“Paphos has been rewarded for its efforts in responsible and sustainable tourism initiatives which promote sustainability for the benefit of visitors, residents and society,” he said.

The awards celebrate the efforts of tourism destinations ‘responsible and sustainable tourism initiatives.’

The list is the result of an open call where destinations could be nominated.

The awards said in a release that: “Nominators had to provide extensive information on the destination and on its efforts to make itself and its stakeholders more sustainable for the benefit of visitors, its local communities and the world.”

Information had to be provided about the extent the destination complies with the 15 key criteria of the Green Destinations Standard model. Over 150 nominations were received. All nominations were evaluated by experts of the Green Destinations Top 100 Team and by members of the special Top 100 Selection panel that included 60 tourism sustainability experts.

The Sustainable Destinations Top 100 was unveiled 27 October 2016 on World Tourism Day and Green Destinations Day in Slovenia.

The tourism head said that: “The Top 100 is intended to identify tourist destinations who have methodically worked to make a difference and to take viability seriously.”

He added that the district has so much to offer: “It’s great that Paphos has received another European award and as a Green Destination.”

Paphos also holds a gold medal for the quality of Quality coast 2016-2017 coastline and has more than 20% of the Blue Flag beaches in Cyprus.

Paphos is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and will hold the prestigious Cultural Capital title for 2017.Apart from its ancient ruins, monuments and archaeological sites, the district offers many activities such as bird watching, climbing, walking trails, adventure sports, festivals, wine tours and guided excursions to rural areas and traditional villages.

“The upgrading and beautification projects for ‘Pafos2017’, pave the way for a dynamic and a promising path for Paphos with greater success and growth in the coming years.”

Paphos police are investigating the planting of an explosive device outside a residence in the Mouttalos refugee housing estate.

The device, consisting of high explosives and flammable material, was spotted by an 18-year-old just outside her family residence at around 6am on Thursday.

Police arriving on the scene evacuated the family as well as people residing in adjacent houses.

The bomb squad subsequently destroyed the device via a controlled detonation.

According to the police, the person or persons who placed the device had attempted to set it off but without success.

Police are asking the public to lookout for a girl reported missing from her home in Paphos since Thursday 2pm.

Seventeen-year-old Greek passport-holder Marietta Michaelidou is described as thin, around 1.60m in height with shoulder-length light-coloured hair with grey highlights.

She was wearing black trousers, a white shirt with a Union Jack on the front and black trainers when last seen.

Anyone with any information is urged to call Paphos CID, their nearest police station or the Citizen’s line on 1460.

AN imminent strike by Greek air traffic controllers will affect numerous flights to and from Larnaca and Paphos airports over the next few days. Trade unions in Greece are striking over a reform of the civil aviation service and there will be no flights to and from any Greek airport on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday (October 9, 10, 12 and 13).

Based on current information by the Hermes Operations Centre at Larnaca airport, the strike will affect 73 flights in total (36 arrivals and 37 departures) to and from different airports in Greece.

At Larnaca airport, 59 flights by Aegean Airlines, Blue Air, Emirates, Cobalt, and Ellinair will be affected, whilst at Paphos airport 14 Ryanair flights will be cancelled.

While Ryanair announced that they will continuously update their website and that they will let their customers know about their flight status via email or phone provided at the time of booking, Cobalt and Blue Air have asked passengers to contact them to change their flight without any extra charge. The new flight dates will be within one week of the original flight.

Travellers interested in finding out more about these flights can contact the airlines and tour operators directly, as well as Hermes Airports call centre on 77778833 prior to their arrival at Larnaca and Paphos airports.

Seventeen-year-old Marietta Michaelidou, who had been reported missing by her parents on Friday afternoon, was found hours later in downtown Paphos, police said in a statement.

According to the police, Michaelidou was found by a police patrol car wandering on foot at around 9 pm in the Dasoudi area in Paphos.

She told police that she had been walking around Paphos since Thursday 2 pm, when her parents reported she left home.

Police said she is in good health.

All flights to and from Greece will be affected by the 48-hour strike staged by Greek air-traffic controllers, the Association of Cyprus Travel Agents (Acta) warned on Saturday.

In a statement, Acta said that the strike will start at midnight Saturday and end midnight Monday, but may resume on Wednesday and Thursday, October 12 and 13.

Trade unions in Greece are protesting a reform of the civil aviation service.

“Acta calls on travellers who have made reservations with travel agents to contact them as soon as possible, to avoid further inconvenience,” the statement said.

According to Hermes, a total 73 flights to and from Greece will be affected at Larnaca and Paphos airports.

At Larnaca airport, 59 flights by Aegean Airlines, Blue Air, Emirates, Cobalt, and Ellinair will be affected, whilst at Paphos airport 14 Ryanair flights will be cancelled.

Ryanair announced that they will continuously update their website and that they will let their customers know about their flight status via email or phone provided at the time of booking. Cobalt and Blue Air have asked passengers to contact them to change their flight without any extra charge. The new flight dates will be within one week of the original flight.

Travellers needing to find out more about these flights can contact the airlines and tour operators directly, as well as Hermes Airports’ call centre on 77778833 prior to their arrival at Larnaca and Paphos airports.

A PAPHOS chocolatier is celebrating her recent win at the international chocolate awards held in Florence recently.

Her silver award means that ‘Joulietta Chocolatier and Patissiers’ Fig and Ouzo hand crafted chocolate will now automatically go through to the World Chocolate Awards, due to take place in London later this month.

It’s a real accolade for a small business set up almost three years ago in the heart of Paphos.

Joulietta James, told the Sunday Mail that she was thrilled with her award. She attended the award ceremony along with her father ex Manchester restaurateur, Demetrios, and husband David.

“It was an amazing experience and I met lots of other chocolatiers from all over the region. I felt very honoured to be among all these people; I couldn’t really believe I was there,” she said.

The International Chocolate Awards is an independent competition recognising excellence in fine chocolate making and in the products made with fine chocolate.

Joulietta won the silver prize for her artisan ‘Fig and Ouzo’ chocolate, made using local Cypriot produce. She hand crafts her chocolates, cakes and pastries at her Paphos shop, and is helped out by her father, who often collects fresh fruit, herbs and other local products to be used in the process.

The International Chocolate Awards covers various regions and Joulietta’s chocolate was entered under the Italian/ Mediterranean competition, which was open to entries from : Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and all Middle East and North African companies.

Joulietta explained how she created her winning chocolate, which are made using local figs.

“We dehydrate and macerate them in ouzo and use that as the base of the chocolate. I have wanted to do something using a local fruit, as I like to use local herbs and products in my chocolates. We have some really lovely figs here and I think it’s a difficult fruit to pair with anything, but I thought the ouzo should work well with it, and it does.”

The aim of the awards is to give smaller chocolatiers, who may never normally be noticed, a platform to showcase their chocolates.

Both Joulietta’s parents are Cypriot, but she was born in London, although she didn’t speak English until the age of eight. “I’ve always been a Cypriot at heart,” she said.

Joulietta said she has also always been a ‘chocoholic’, passing by Harrods chocolate counter a number of times a week when possible.

“When I came back to Cyprus to stay, I thought I could do something luxurious and there was nothing here like my shop. So I went and trained.”

She then set about developing a line of luxury artisan chocolates with the taste of Cyprus. She expanded her products to include cakes and pastries and uses locally sourced herbs, fruits and liqueurs found on the island and also serves teas, coffees and hot chocolates.

Chocolate is a passion she shares with her father.

“For me, it’s very important to try and educate people about chocolate, the health benefits of dark chocolate and to try and help people understand the difference between our chocolates and mass produced stuff, Demetrios said.

Two men were remanded for four days each by the Paphos court on Sunday on suspicion of possessing stolen goods and cash.

The men aged 42 and 36 were stopped by police on Saturday afternoon by traffic police while driving in the Mesoyi area. A search of their car revealed that the driver, 42, was in possession of €5,500 in notes of €500 while his passenger was in possession of €7,000 also in €500 banknotes.

Also, in the vehicle officers found a computer, two mobile phones, perfume and a pair of sunglasses. The two persons were arrested on suspicion of theft as they had no satisfactory explanation for possessing the items, police said.

At the same time a Paphos resident was reporting to police that their home had been burgled between 10am and 4pm on Saturday. The thieves had taken €12,500 in €500 banknotes as well as a computer and other items.

After the arrest of the pair, the owner was caled back to the police station and identified the items.

During investigations, police also discovered that the driving licence of the 42-year-old was fake, and that he was an illegal immigrant who had been deported in April this year.

Two new firefighting vehicles were handed over to the fire service at an official ceremony by Hermes airports on Sunday for use at Paphos airport.

Speaking at the ceremony on behalf of Hermes, senior executive director Eleni Kaloyirou praised the close cooperation that exists between Hermes and the fire service and noted that with the acquisition of two new vehicles, Paphos airport had upgraded to an even greater level of security.

On behalf of the fire service, the vehicles were received by Paphos district chief Spyros Papamichael.

Papamichael thanked Hermes for the purchase of two new trucks and for its contribution to the general effort to upgrade the fire brigade’s equipment based at Paphos airport.

The two Iveco vehicles, Dragon 6×6, come complete with the latest technology and can cross all sort of difficult terrain. They can store up to 12,000 litres of water, 1,500 litres of foam and up to 250kg of powder.

The vehicles can reach 80km per hour in less than 20 seconds and have a top speed of 115km per hour, and are 120HP.

Overall, more than seven million passengers are handled annually in Larnaca and Paphos airports.

According to Hermes, CNA said, it is estimated that each additional flight added at a Cyprus airport creates around 100 new jobs. Some 12,700 people are employed by Hermes.

With an annual contribution of more than €500 million to the island’s economy, representing around 3 per cent of GDP, the two airports are considered a major driving force, CNA said.

A car worth €12,000 and electronic equipment worth €2,500 were stolen from a house in Paphos between September 16 and October 8.

The owner of the house, a resident of Paphos, reported to police on Sunday that unknown perpetrators entered her house, stole the equipment, took the car keys which were in the residence and took the car.

The car is a grey Lexus RX30 with the number plates KWW933.

Members of the police force went to the scene and seized various items as evidence.

Bureaucracy and lengthy waiting times for civil weddings will be slashed in Paphos as the municipality has joined an innovative online platform, the mayor said on Tuesday.

Paphos is already a popular wedding destination and this new initiative is expected to boost the municipality coffers by tapping further into the overseas wedding market, mayor Phedonas Phedonos said.

On Monday Phedonos signed a contract with Lasirata Ltd to include Paphos on their new website BookYourWeddingDay.com, a system which will help intended spouses from all over the world to make their wedding reservations easily.

This will help to avoid lengthy procedures, waiting lists and the consequent suffering, he said.

Phedonos stressed that the municipality of Paphos supports any initiative that streamlines the municipality, promotes new technologies and help, direct services to the citizens.

“The platform,” said the mayor, “will decisively contribute to reducing bureaucracy, improve the quality of services, upgrade our tourist product, promote traffic and increase municipal revenues from this important activity.”

The site has just gone live.

According to founder Maria Evripides, the website is the first and only international online booking system that allows tour operators, travel agents, wedding planners and wedding couples themselves to secure confirmed overseas wedding dates and venues instantly.

The platform allows users to browse directories of the most popular hotel and municipal wedding venues in different destinations in Greece and Cyprus. Other destinations in Cyprus include Limassol, Ayia Napa, Protaras, Larnaca and Sotira.

She said: “Up to now, for example, it can take between six to eight weeks for a couple going to a travel agent in the UK to receive an answer if their wedding can go ahead, often the answer is negative as they are fully booked. This site is synchronised and bookings can be made instantly”.

This website cuts through this lengthy procedure, she said.

Evripides pointed out that the site only concerns the wedding venue and offers no other services such as flights, flowers, cakes and so on. “We don’t want to compete with other wedding services,” she said.

“I understood the obstacles facing couples and tour operators who were interested in planning a wedding abroad and that gave me the idea.”

Access is available free of charge to any user. A small fee is charged when users are ready to book a confirmed date and venue, she said.

Edek MP and former Paphos mayor Fidias Sarikas told the district’s Criminal Court on Wednesday that he did not take part in discussions about backhanders because he was on the phone all the time during the meetings in question.

Sarikas, along with former municipal councillors Giorgos Michaelides, Efstathios Efstathiou, Vasos Vasiliou, and sitting councillor Giorgos Shailis, are facing charges of money laundering and taking bribes from contractors awarded Paphos Sewerage Board (Sapa) projects.

Grilled by the prosecution, Sarikas on Wednesday denied taking kickbacks during his stint as mayor between 1997 and 2002.

Sarikas had been named by former Sapa director Efthymios Malekides as taking part in two meetings with contractor Loizos Iordanous — one at the latter’s home and one at a tavern – where kickbacks were discussed.

Malekides, along with former Paphos mayor Savvas Vergas are already doing six-year prison terms after pleading guilty in the same case.

Sarikas conceded that he had been present at the two meetings with Iordanous but had not taken part in the kickback discussions, claiming that he frequently left the other two to answer phone calls.

Asked why would Malekides implicate him, Sarikas suggested he was seeking revenge because he had expected the Sapa case not to be discussed in parliament.

The MP also conceded going to Athens with Malekides and the late councillor Andreas Omirou, brother of the former House president Yiannakis Omirou, but denied receiving bribes on behalf of a Greek company.

Prosecutor Ninos Kekkos put it to Sarikas that he went to Athens twice to collect €20,000 each time.

During the lengthy cross examination, Kekkos questioned Sarikas, an architect, over the sale of four villas in Peyia.

Sarikas had presented a document in court to prove that he had sold one of the villas to a Russian national in June 2005 for £250,000 CYP (around €427,000).

The prosecution however, disputed Sarikas’ claim, arguing that no profits from the sale of real estate had been recorded in 2005 and 2006.

In 2004, Kekkos said, the amount of £146,671CYP was recorded as the proceeds from the sale of a villa or villas in 2004 or earlier and not 2005 and 2006.

Sarikas said he would ask his accountant because he could not remember. Kekkos went ton to tell the court that according to a report prepared by the Legal Service’s accountant, the income from Sarikas’ architectural office was low. In his statement however, the former mayor had told police that he had one of the biggest architectural offices.

“The income you declared does not reflect the real income you had from the partnership,” Kekkos said.

He also asked Sarikas why his 2005-2006 tax return did not show the sale he had claimed he made and why he used to declare £500 CYP per month as his income from the office when it was one of the biggest on the island.

Sarikas told the court that he had always given his accountants all the revenues without hiding anything.

The prosecutor also raised the issue of Sarikas’ rent revenues, which showed a significant discrepancy.

In 2001, Kekkos said, Sarikas had declared €5,130 in rent revenue, €38,071 in 2002, and €5,150 in 2003.

Asked about the spike in 2002, Sarikas said he could not remember.

The trial continues on October 18.

AN ongoing row between the municipality of Paphos and the Church concerning the town hall garden has been resolved amicably and without ‘fanfare’, according to an announcement on social media by the town’s mayor.

Phedonas Phedonos, posted on his personal Facebook page: “Good news! A big story of the city is resolved permanently. In agreement with the church and the state, the public garden becomes public property with an exchange. With respect and without fanfare, we managed to understand each other.”

This is another feather in Phedonos cap, as, over the years, there have been countless instances of friction between the Church and the municipality, and debates as to whether the space should continue to be used as garden, or earmarked as the site of a new cathedral.

A spokesman for the municipality said: “An agreement between the municipality of Paphos, the government and the Church, means that the plot will be exchanged with another which belongs to the state, within the Paphos town region. It hasn’t been decided yet where that will be.”

He added that no further details are available yet.

Part of the garden is currently being used as a car park for the Town Hall whilst massive upgrading works are undertaken in the area.

“The area will be landscaped very soon and we have to start planning the project which we hope will be completed early next year.”

Paphos will take over the prestigious title as Cultural Capital of Europe for 2017, a title it shares with Aarhus in Denmark.

“The public garden and the regeneration of the wider environment and landscaping of the area will further highlight the city centre,” he noted.
Much of the gardens of the town hall had been left to deteriorate in the past, with trees, shrubs and plants on their last legs.
The disagreement began after the public gardens were returned to the owners, the Church, when a long-term agreement expired. The church had rented it to the municipality on a long lease and instead of continuing the agreement, as the municipality had hoped, the Church expressed a desire to build a cathedral in the grounds instead.

In the past, there was also friction concerning the cleaning of the gardens when the Church raised objections to municipal workers cleaning the area, saying they were ‘intervening.’

Meanwhile, on Wednesday morning, the mayor signed a contract with Ioannou Construction Ltd for the creation of nine public green spaces in the town at a cost of 730,000 euro.

Under the terms of the contract, the constructed works will last three months and the project is expected to be completed before the end of the year.

Kong Qui, better known as the philosopher Confucius, was a man who attached great importance to food and he is credited as helping bring perfect taste to Chinese food by developing proper cooking techniques. And, after dining at the Ancient City Chinese restaurant in Paphos, I believe the chef working his wok magic here is an enthusiastic follower of the great man.

Confucius believed the taste of any dish was utterly dependent on proper mixing of all ingredients and condiments and it was the fine blending of ingredients that result in great taste and without harmony in that blending process then food cannot taste good. The great man you could say was a foodie and one hopes if he was alive today he might enjoy the taste experience on offer at this recently-opened traditional Chinese eatery.

The menu is picture led and is a riot of over exposed colours but very easy to follow as it is classified into separate sections of Beef, Seafood, Pasta, Pork, Chicken, Soups, veggies and rice plus a special tea menu offering black, white, green, Puer and Chrysanthemum teas.

There will be absolutely no trouble reading the menu even for those with advanced cataracts as the interior décor boasts in excess of 58 hanging lights so it’s not what one would call a discreet or even an intimate dining experience. The cooking style hails from Beijing with dishes also from the Shandong, Sichuan and Huai Yang and Tan provinces. Our first dishes of Spinach with Garlic and a generous plate of Chicken with Chilli, Cashews and Cucumber really set the tone and confirmed that chef was indeed following the edict of the great philosopher.

We then had a bowl of plain rice and shrimp rice, again perfectly cooked and just the right stickiness to adhere to the chopsticks. I defy anyone not to find a good number of dishes that will delight the taste buds and it’s certainly a place to re visit.

I particularly enjoyed the meat dumplings which came in a deep, soya-based sauce, offering less of a salty hit than something intense with Umami and again that caramelising which is always a winner. If you just want to start off slowly I would strongly recommend a filling plate of meat or prawn filled dumplings accompanied with that marvellous dish of spinach and garlic on the side followed by some fish balls.

Of course soup is a staple in a traditional Chinese kitchen and here they offer a wide range with a steaming pot of liquid delights also on offer as part of the daily buffet. These are mainly noodle chicken broth based but again the flavours of ginger, spring onions, pepper, soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil combine perfectly to lift what one would describe as ‘just soup’ into the realms of a hearty starter.

There is a very nice Greek waiter on hand who speaks English and managed to retain his cool when surrounded by Chinese diners all of whom seemed to believe that this was their own private dining room such was the decibel count that reverberated through the restaurant as they ate drank and made merry. This is a place to come if you really do like flavoursome food and aren’t afraid to try different combinations. And although there will be many Chinese dining you can rest assured that the stereotypical Chinese dining experience of being presented with black beans and roasted chicken feet does not appear on the menu.

The waiter told us that every week day they offer a buffet from 1pm until 3pm, so next day I had lunch there and although it’s a small style buffet the food was once again bursting with flavour and I have now become hooked on caramelised potatoes with chicken and Chinese toast, it is an all you can eat experience for the remarkably reasonable price of €7 per person. A really smart move would be to try out the lunch first and if on offer try the super seasoned vegetables particularly the braised aubergine dish which was really excellent.

As it is Chinese, it was no surprise to see pandas standing guard at the entrance to the restaurant, the Chinese quite rightly consider them to be a national treasure.

VITAL STATISTICS
SPECIALTY traditional Chinese
WHERE Ancient City, Demokratias Avenue, Paphos
CONTACT 26 000888
PRICE from €10

RESIDENTS of Paphos have reacted with horror after another case of animal cruelty has been highlighted and then publicly displayed. Images of the dead animal have gone viral on social media and other web based sites.

On Wednesday night, an as yet unidentified man appears to have dragged a fox behind his car, tied with a rope, and then displayed the dead and bloodied body, on the car bonnet.

The car was then parked in an area of Paphos old town which is currently undergoing a multi-million euro facelift ahead of the cultural capital title for 2017.

Acting Paphos police spokesman Michalis Ioannou told the Cyprus Mail that police at the town’s central station are conducting investigations and he expects an arrest to be made.

“We have a suspect and once we have gathered statement we will apply to the court for an arrest warrant.”

It is not yet clear if the fox was dead or alive when it was dragged behind the car.

The head of the Animal Party Kyriacos Kyriacou, said that after a complaints made to them by members of the public, they handed over the information to the police.

“This is very sensitive and they have an obligation to investigate this case as they would do if it involved a human being.”

Kyriacou said that a recent announcement by the Game Fund had not helped.

“The game fund has said that there is an increase, 77 per cent in the fox population, this isn’t based on any facts. They also said that the foxes are minimising the number of hares and partridges available for hunters.”

He continued: “The foxes aren’t guilty, they aren’t responsible for a decrease in numbers; who is guilty? Who is hunting at night, who is hunting illegally?”

He said that statements like this had led to poisoning, shooting and now this terrible case in Paphos.

One resident, who wished to remain nameless said: “This is despicable, disgusting and a disgrace. What is happening to people, what kind of people we have in Paphos? And we expect to be the cultural capital next year. We don’t’ deserve it like this, these actions have to be stopped and these terrible people punished.

She continued: “How do we expect to attract civilised people to our town if we behave like this. Horrific.”

Oana Bodnaras of Paphiakos and CCP animal welfare in Paphos said that unfortunately it doesn’t appear as if cases of animal cruelty are decreasing.

“We have a female hunting dog found in Mesa Chorio in Paphos this week, close to death, who has been terribly ill-treated and starved. She is with us now and we’re taking care of her.”

Bodnaras also mentioned another recent case of a huge dog now living at their shelter, who has been kept in a cage all of his life.

“Because of this, he has terribly deformed back legs,” she said.

Police in Paphos arrested a 39-year-old Pole on Thursday for causing a disturbance after roaming into a house naked and drunk.

According to police, the man who is said to be an alcoholic, caused quite a stir in community of the village of Ayia Varvara after entering the family house at a time when only the wife was home.

According to the complaint they received, the woman was on the first floor of the house when she heard noises from the ground floor only to realise a little later it was the stark naked man.

She immediately called her husband and started calling for help which arrived in the form of her puzzled neighbours who rushed to the scene and removed the offending man, who was later collected by police.

THE main suspect in a case of animal cruelty in Paphos involving a fox has protested his innocence, according to police.

On Wednesday night, an as yet unidentified man appears to have dragged a fox behind his car, tied with a rope, and then displayed the dead and bloodied body, on his car bonnet.

The car was then parked in an area of Paphos old town which is currently undergoing a multi-million euro facelift ahead of the cultural capital title for 2017.

It is not clear if the fox was dead or alive when it was dragged behind the car.

Acting Paphos police spokesman Michalis Ioannou told the Cyprus Mail that a suspect had made a statement to police that he was not responsible for killing the animal or placing it on the bonnet of his car.

“He didn’t admit any involvement and said that someone else had done it. He said that he left the car on the street and someone else must have put it there.”

Police said that they are checking CCTV cameras in the area and gathering evidence, including further statements.

Anger is growing in the town with residents calling for the perpetrator to be arrested, charged and punished.

One elderly resident said: “This is giving Paphos and Cypriots a bad name. Many of us love animals and I’m disgusted by the way that some of my compatriots treat animals. It has to stop. Whoever did this should be named and severely punished.”

The case has also garnered condemnation from around the world as social media posts about the incident have gone viral.

If you have any information which could assist police in their enquiries in this case, please contact Paphos police on 26 806 060. Alternatively, you may give information anonymously on the citizen’s line: 1460.

The lack of sustainable water policies could have a particularly negative impact on Paphos, home to a number of golf resorts, which ‘eat up’ water, yet it has no operational desalination plant as a backup, sources at the water development department have said.

“We need to find a new approach to water development and sustainable policies,” a source told the Sunday Mail.

Developers, especially those building golf courses, should be held accountable if they don’t provide their own water sources.

“Everybody is taking from the existing water supplies. More and more developments, particularly golf ones are being constructed in Paphos, the demand is increasing. If there is only a little rain this winter, there is a real possibility that the reservoirs won’t be full and we could have severe water shortages in Paphos again next year.”

He stressed that radical changes need to come from the top and that the government needs to reassess their policies, including whether new golf projects are beneficial in the long term.

“The commerce ministry has to carry out a study to see what is the cost-benefit, if any, of a golf project, in general terms. Developers want golf to expand, but why should ordinary citizens pay the price for that?” he asked.

The domestic use for the coast of Paphos is about nine million cubic metres a year.

“The four golf courses use more than four million cubic metres a year and on top of that around five to six million is used in irrigation,” he said.

The source said that it angers him that the public has to buy water of ‘questionable’ quality, instead of having fresh water in their taps

He also said that Paphos urgently needs a small desalination plant at the least, after a final decision to remove a mobile unit, which cost 24 million euros but was only used for four months, was made two weeks ago. Paphos is now the only city without a desalination plant.

The initial decision to install a mobile desalination unit by the Xeros River in Kouklia in Paphos was taken in the aftermath of the 2008 drought.

But it was hardly ever used as a rainy winter followed which ensured the Asprokremmos reservoir filled up and covered Paphos’ needs.

The acting director of the Water Development Department (WDD), Nicos Neocleous, confirmed that just over two weeks ago the legal service of the government’s central committee said that the desalination unit contract – which was made with a private company – states that the plant should be removed at the end of the term and that ‘they couldn’t find a way to extend this.’

“The obligation was to remove it by the end of 2013, but they asked for an extension and negotiations tried to find a way to buy it or start a new agreement, but unfortunately it was not possible to find a legal way to do it,” he said.

He added that the dismantling of the desalination plant in Paphos will start ‘very soon’ and be completed by the end of the year. He said that a new desalination plant for Paphos is a necessity, although the amount of water produced would be around half of the first facility’s capability.

“We are planning to go for open tenders, we have applied to the ministry of agriculture and our minister will take this to the Council of Ministers.”

Although Paphos generally has more water than other areas, alternative solutions for Paphos must be found, he said.

One suggestion is to examine if other reservoirs in other areas such as Limassol could be connected to Paphos. Currently the ‘Southern Conveyor System’ connects towns and villages from the Kourris dam and runs all the way to Paralimni.

“An alternative study will be carried out in a few weeks,” he said, “but the main solution is for a desalination plant in Paphos which would be smaller than the temporary one and cost far less.”

The previous contract signed with a Greek company that owned the unit, saw the government buy water at €1.21 per cubic metre. According to the terms, the company was compensated for the time the unit was inactive.

The plant was only used for four months, the rest of the time it was on standby and cost 24 million euros.“It cost 24 million for four months of water,” Neocleous reiterated.

Sources say that the WDD had tried to establish the Paphos unit as a permanent plant but were informed that they hadn’t complied correctly with the necessary legal process, including the practice of tenders. The use of desalination plants is an expensive way of producing water, but temporary units are even more expensive than permanent ones.

Currently the Paphos area has 26 million cubic metres of water in its reservoirs, short of the annual requirement of 28 million for the region.

Neokleous said that less water in reservoirs could cause other problems as well as water shortages. Less water means what is there is poorer quality, he said, and this could also have an adverse effect on fish and wildlife.

A Paphos resident reported to police on Sunday that burglaries had stolen 25,000 euros worth of jewellery from his home.
According to police, the burglars entered the house in the early hours after gaining entry through a glass door.
Kouklia police are investigating.