I AM writing in response to the letter from J Phillips about immigration from Romania and Bulgaria (HAS, Mar 19).

Mr Phillips states boldly that “we just cannot sustain these numbers of low-skilled people”.

Can he please provide some hard evidence that any immigrants from Romania and Bulgaria will be “lowskilled”?

This was certainly not the case of the Polish who came here nine years ago.

So hard-working and skilled were they that the phrase “Polish plumber” almost became a cliche. I met some who were very hardworking, skilled and very decent human beings.

As for the British spirit, my father fought in the Second World War – against the very same digusting fascism and racism, which sadly seems all too prevalent in our society today.

Mr Phillips might do well to remember how the Durham Light Infantry liberated Belsen in April 1945, one of the Nazis’ terrible death camps.

Let us not forget that the road to Belsen – and Auschwitz, Sobibor, Treblinka et al – began with the same kind of casual stereotyping that J Phillips indulged in.

The real British spirit, as so superbly and proudly displayed in the Second World War, is the spirit of tolerance and generosity to others.

I did partly agree that any immigration from Romania and Bulgaria may affect many parts of our society.

When my father had a spell in hospital last year, I couldn’t help but notice just how many foreign workers there were in the hospital doing vitally important jobs.

Peter Sagar, Heaton.