One of the few remaining pleasures known to civilised man is the period on a Sunday when a reasonable amount of time -- usually a couple of hours -- can be spent ingesting the contents of a quality newspaper.

Last weekend I took advantage of a promotion to buy the Sunday Telegraph for a cut price 35p. Under normal circumstances I would conclude that that was outstanding value but, on this occasion, the 'special offer' bounced back in my face.

The first story to catch my eye was a page one top carrying the disturbing headline: "Terrorist nerve gas plans found in London raid." If that wasn't enough to trigger a serious bout of indigestion, the accompanying text certainly did the job.

It revealed that the Special Branch had uncovered a plot to release the poisonous nerve gas sarin in Britain. This is possibly the most lethal of chemical weapons as it is easy to manufacture, 26 times more deadly than cyanide, odourless, and a tiny amount released in an underground station could kill thousands of people.

It was this gas which in 1995 killed 12 and injured more than 5,000 when the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo used it to attack an underground train.

That information alone was enough to spoil what had promised to be a pleasant Sunday -- but additional quotes, credited to a senior police officer, added to my discomfort.

He confessed that he and his colleagues, and by that I concluded the Government also, had feared "for some time" that there would be "a major terrorist incident in London".

He added: "It is amazing it hasn't happened before." Right. That's the trip to Highbury down the pan if the Wanderers get past Blackburn Rovers in the fifth round replay!

There was further enlightening material. The same high-ranking policeman revealed that there were people in London who had links with terrorists abroad and that those people were now regarding our capital city as "a target, not just a hiding place".

The thought did spring to mind at that point that if the law enforcement agencies and other organisations dedicated to defence of the realm know about these people, why the hell don't they turf them out?

I'm far from being Jack Straw's staunchest advocate but can well understand his hard line with illegal immigrants and reluctance to ease current restrictions which many liberals see as harsh and uncaring.

How does one differentiate between a legitimate political refugee fleeing persecution and a Fifth Columnist attempting to enter the UK for means other than self-preservation?

After all, the latter is hardly likely to enter 'Terrorist' under the heading 'What is your occupation?', or reply 'To cause as much death and destruction as possible' to the question 'What is the purpose of your visit?' The whole question of asylum seekers and refugees is one which is giving all the governments in Western Europe cause for serious concern, though the UK seems to be a particular favourite for some reason, possibly because of our well-documented tolerance. A recent television slot highlighted the repeated attempts of Channel-hoppers to stow away on long-distance lorries heading for England.

It would have been amusing had it not been for the desperation of the would-be illegal immigrants who kept on trying, no matter how many times they were discovered at French ports.

Those who made it across but were found at Dover or other inward ports were clearly relieved to have at least reached the Promised Land, though their chances of remaining in it very much depended on government agencies.

What utterly astounds me is what happens to the ones who evade capture and actually get into Britain. How do they make themselves understood if, as I suspect, they can't speak English? What do they do for cash? Where do they go? How do they avoid detection? How do they become integrated into a society, even one as multi-racial as ours?

There was an incident some time ago when a leader of the Kurdish rebels was captured and held for trial by the Turkish authorities. All hell broke loose in London where Kurds staged a mass protest and I remembered thinking at the time as I watched the demo on TV: "Where did they all come from?"

There had to be a rational explanation but I for one never dreamed there were so many Kurds in the UK, let alone London.

And I'm not being racist here.

I've nothing against the Kurds. They are an oppressed nation, victims of persecution and appalling savagery at the hands of their foes. I'm merely trying to make a point.

There are good and bad in every race and God knows we have enough home-grown nutters. I just hope none of THEM discovers the formula for sarin.