John Parry's use of the plight of asylum seekers to have a cheap shot at the French was deeply offensive and the statistics were highly selective.

Asylum seekers receive 70 per cent of income support - hardly "a big improvement".

The one million illegal immigrants he speaks of include Australian and US overstayers.

Those who have disappeared into Britain will be working for a quarter of the minimum wage if they are lucky.

The people who have disappeared into the system do not even replace the Britons who are emigrating - ten million over the past decade at the Home Office's estimation.

Meanwhile, the EU is an ageing community whose citizens are not having enough children to replace themselves never mind those who emigrate.

During the next two decades, we will have to eat humble pie and be thankful for anyone of working age who will work here, pay taxes and look after our elderly selves, possibly including Mr Parry.

-Shanti Haft, Brighton and Hove Committee To Defend Asylum Seekers