I OFTEN find myself being shocked by the anti asylum/immigration letters in the Evening Press, but Ruth Bradley's (Letters, March 5) must win the prize for the most ignorant and prejudiced I have read so far.

Just because you come across people in York who are not of British origin, or even worse are of British nationality but not white, you cannot presume they are all here to claim asylum.

The level of asylum seekers in York is around 30, most of the other people you refer to either work or study here. For example there are a lot of Chinese students and staff working at the university; do you suggest they should all be sent home?

Andrew Collingwood,

Turners Croft, York.

...I COULDN'T believe my eyes when I read some of the letters about immigration. My first reaction was that the writers were having us on, but sadly I think they're serious.

There were so many gross assumptions in Ruth Bradley's letter that it is hard to know where to start.

Presumably her scientific survey was done by walking round town and deciding who looks a bit foreign. I've got an Italian ancestor, and have olive skin, so I'm probably on her list of suspicious characters.

Secondly, why does Ruth assume that anyone foreign looking must a) be an immigrant and b) have no right to be here?

Britain is made up of people from different countries and cultures, and always has been, from the days of the Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, to Normans, Jews, Hugenots, Italians Greeks and Dutch in later years, and also people from Asia, Africa and the Caribbean.

All of them have made a valuable contribution to our society, and many people who consider themselves to be "pure English" might be surprised to find one or more immigrants somewhere in their ancestry.

Many of the people she assumes to be immigrants may well have been born and bred in this country and perhaps even in York - which has, for example, an established Chinese community.

Lastly, M Bowker challenges Ben Drake's right to campaign against the BNP, on the grounds of free speech.

But the free speech M Bowker defends does not seem to extend to Ben Drake's right to disagree with the BNP in public.

Peri Stracchino,

Burlington Terrace, York.

...THE recent discussion of the BNP has allowed me to notice an interesting irony; the party is in favour of "the reintroduction of corporal punishment for petty criminals and vandals... and the restoration of capital punishment for... murderers" www.bnp.org.uk/policies.html.

Given the history of violence of many BNP supporters and organisers revealed in the BBC's 2001 Panorama report, summarised online at news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/programmes/2001/bnp_special, it does not seem that it would be too long before the BNP's own members would be subject to corporal and capital punishment in large numbers.

Matthew David Platts,

Burniston Grove,

Tang Hall, York.

...I FELT sadness reading the ill-informed, racist, and intolerant letters from our fellow citizens.

I do hope all the immigrants who help provide Ruth Bradley and Janet S Kitchen their health care will understand. I hope, too, the migrants who made a net contribution, not burden, of approximately £2.5 billion to income tax in a year Home Office survey will do so also.

Further, that the "people of east European and Oriental extraction" who come to this country hoping for a better life, who are often the victims of crimes in this one, will understand the intolerance of them here because of their different country of birth.

And maybe Ben Drake can forgive M Bowker for accusing him of lying about his facts; which ones are disputed I'd be staggered to know.

Kester Edmonds

Haxby Road, York.

...PARALLEL universe discovered in York shock!

Letters from residents of the Other York have fallen through a wormhole to our own Evening Press.

In this mirror world, strange and sinister persons of oriental or East European appearance stalk the streets, asylum seekers lurk at every corner, and immigrants carrying deadly diseases are infiltrated into Government departments, to live in million-pound penthouses and guarantee a Labour Government into the next millennium.

There is also, obviously, a plentiful supply of the green ink traditionally associated with letter writers from an alternative universe.

No, that's wishful thinking. Sadly, the people who have been using the letters page to attack immigrants and non-white Britons are part of our own world.

Their hysterical scape-goating of certain members of our community will not build affordable housing, improve the NHS, or solve the problem of anti-social behaviour.

Decent and tolerant people in York, who are looking for genuine and lasting solutions to our city's problems will not be fooled by such nonsense.

Jane Roberts,

Irwin Avenue,

Heworth, York.

...FOR fear of "ranting", I'll just ask this: how come I'm not entitled to free speech?

Ben Drake,

York Unity,

Danum Road, York.

Updated: 11:13 Monday, March 08, 2004