I WAS distressed to read the headline: Britain will be flooded over a letter from Frank Rushton on September 6 warning of an influx of asylum seekers to Bolton and complaining that they will be treated too generously.

Don't panic is the gist of my reply. I don't know where Mr Rushton gets his figures from but even if the figures are right, I believe his analysis is alarmist.

The Press Complaints Commission recently warned newspaper editors that inaccurate and misleading reporting (about asylum seekers) might generate an atmosphere of fear and hostility and I am afraid Mr Rushton's letter risks doing just that.

Those of us who saw on TV the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo or the current horrors of East Timor must surely understand how terrible it is to be driven from your home and country by the hatred of others.

The number of asylum seekers coming into this country at present is tiny compared with trends across the world. There are at least 13 million refugees worldwide and millions more who have been internally displaced. The vast majority of these live in Africa and Asia. It is actually the poor countries that are supporting nearly all these refugees not rich countries like the UK.

I was proud to see the welcome provided to refugees arriving earlier this year in Leeds and glad to assist with money for some received locally. I feel it is extremely important that asylum seekers and refugees, many of whom have witnessed or suffered terrible atrocities are treated in as humane and compassionate way as possible.

The main point is that they are ordinary people just like you and me.

G Cresswell

Brookside Close

Bolton

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.