I SHOULD like to thank Mr Elster for his reply to my letter relating to the influx of immigrants from Eastern Europe.

Government statistics disagree with him regarding the benefits of high levels of immigration. Let me clarify my point. The people who have arrived here have contributed nothing to the NHS, the benefits system, schools or housing, but they are entitled to use all of them.

Many people who have worked for a great number of years have never used some of the above benefits, but have paid for them through Income Tax and National Insurance.

I agree that some employers like the work ethics of some migrants mainly because they are willing to work for minimum wages, as they have no intention of staying in this country so do not have a mortgage or any commitments here, and only work to send money out of this country to their homeland. As for giving migrants extra tax breaks, I must presume that he is joking.

I'm glad the Mr Elster's wife is happy here and wish her well for the future.

The EEC has destroyed farming, the fishing industry, and we import more from Europe than we export, so I am against more countries joining the gravy train.

Our membership costs us billions of pounds each and every year. Norway stayed out and they prosper, indeed the pensions given to their OAPs are far better than ours.

Iain Camick, Westhoughton