THE allegations that there is a well-organised scam involving immigration applications from Romanians and Bulgarians may have grave consequences for the Government.

If it is proved that ministers were warned of the matter 18 months ago and chose to do nothing about it, Home Office minister Beverley Hughes will be fortunate to keep her job.

Indeed pressure will be put on the Home Secretary to resign, after his staunch defence of his colleague and his insistence on taking ultimate responsibility.

It is in the interests of Ms Hughes and Mr Blunkett to come up with prompt and verifiable answers to the questions put to them.

If it is found that there has been a systematic policy of allowing weakened checks to keep immigration backlogs down, then their positions may be untenable.

But even if they are cleared of wrongdoing, they remain accused of not having full control over their department.

We must, however, put this particular matter in perspective.

It involves immigration applications, not asylum seekers and refugees. And it involves a relatively small number of people, not hordes.

Everyone involved in this particular issue must make strenuous efforts to avoid feeding the frenzy whipped up by some sections of the media and political groups about illegal immigrants and bogus asylum seekers.

We fully understand the motives of members of the Conservative front bench, who want a ministerial scalp. It is part and parcel of the nature of adversarial politics in our country.

But we urge them to focus their attack on the politicians who need to be held to account, and avoid playing into the hands of the more extreme elements of our society who are only too keen to stir up antipathy towards people coming to our country by entirely proper and legal means.