WITH reference to the two letters criticising my remarks about UK immigration.

David Kennedy's comment that the people leaving the country is roughly the same as people coming here to live is correct according to government sources, and is  quoted by our MP who is immigration minister. But don't you wonder, David, why the population of this country increased by 10 million during the latter end of the last millennium.

Is it due to the illegal immigrants? Is it due to those overstaying their visas?  Is it due to the immigrants having on average six children per family whereas the settled people average two children per family? Well it's all three. This is why our schools, hospitals and social services are overstretched.

Mark Parry  sings the praises  and values of other cultures. I, too, can enjoy and admire foreigners' cultures and abilities but it doesn't follow that I want to live like them or be governed by their rules.

Check out what happens when these foreign immigrants  create their no-go areas in our  cities. It is happening in this country and also in Europe. Look at France where there are large areas in their two greatest cities, Paris and Marseille where the police and fire services will not go unless they go in with a large back up.

And why do the police in this country report problems with Romanian visitors committing crime?

One thing though. The  Romanians  don't overstay as visitors. They hop on the ferry to France and immediately return to start another visit. So the police can't stop them unless they have evidence of the crime they commit.

Please Mark give us evidence of how our trade will suffer and not just repeat the mantra as other EU advocates do.  Your Chinese friends have no trouble complying with EU rules when they export their goods to us. Why should we find it so difficult?

Why is it that the European supporters promote their cause with a fervour similar to those promoting a religion. They  overlook negative   facts and sneer at any opposition. Just one question to Mark. Would you buy shares in any company where the auditors refuse to sign off the books? The EU auditors have never signed of the EU's accounts because of fiddles and overspending.

Our PM is saying that he will negotiate away the bad parts of the EU. Some hope of that when we  have one vote among some 30 others. the only way we can influence the EU is by example and not having our values watered down by their rules. Thank God we didn't join the Euro.

On November 1 2014 qualified majority voting  starts. This is why our PM wants to delay the referendum, because with qualified majority voting  it could be  impossible to leave the EU if the majority of member states vote against it.

You don't believe me? Open your eyes and read the Lisbon Treaty. I expect that this is what you want but a large part of the UK population does not.

If this means that I am    advocating being part of a 'little Britain'  as Mark describes it, then I am, because our history shows that we led the world with our agricultural and industrial revolutions and medical advances, ie we punched above our weight.

We still do but could do so much better if we were set free again. AND being a richer country we could give even more away as charity which I would like if we could afford it.

– John Timbrell, Drybrook.