MUCH has been written recently about asylum seekers, prisoners and immigration.

One statistic, however, received very little coverage. It was announced that the number of children being locked up by the UK government has gone up.

More than 2,000 children are detained, with their families, in immigration detention centres each year.

It's known that this causes distress, depression, confusion and behavioural changes.

They have committed no crime and yet can find themselves locked up without a judge reviewing their case. The Refugee Council has joined with Save The Children and Bail For Immigration Detainees to call for an end to this unnecessary and inhumane policy. I would like to ask your readers to help us by logging on to the website www.noplaceforachild.org.uk for more information and to send an electronic postcard to the Home Secretary.

This is not about controlling immigration, it's an issue of children being locked up.

Maeve Sherlock, Refugee Council, 240-250 Ferndale Road, London SW9.