I READ with interest the article in the Post last week which reported on the BNP visit and interviewed some local people in Barking. One gentleman was a chap who claimed this is a black area and we do not want the BNP here . I fully understand his co

I READ with interest the article in the Post last week which reported on the BNP visit and interviewed some local people in Barking.

One gentleman was a chap who claimed 'this is a black area and we do not want the BNP here'.

I fully understand his concerns and my comments here are not meant to be racist, but I believe it would help this gentleman to know why there is so much upset about the level of immigration in this borough.

My grandparents moved into here during the mid 1940s after being blitzed out of London, along with many other families. My parents also settled here after they did their stint in the services during the war and their children, including myself were born during the late 40s and early 50s.

I also settled here during the late 60s and my children were born during the 70s and 80s. That I am afraid is where the story ends.

Of my four children, one took his family to a rural part of Yorkshire after he had to battle to get his eldest son into a school that would have been an automatic placement only a couple of years before. Instead he was left with a journey of two buses and 25 minute walk and they would almost certainly have been unable to get housing in the borough unless they were of a 'priority group.

My daughter moved out altogether, a second son lives here but in a private let because as a single man, he had no chance of getting on the housing ladder.

My family's roots with this borough have spanned approximately 60 years and judging by the letters in the Post Bag it appears that it is these long standing families whose children are being displaced by the huge influx of immigrants.

I have no animosity towards the immigrants but I am angry that the Labour leadership has allowed this to happen. My grandparents and parents when they became old and ill had their children to hand and to be honest I resent that this will be denied to me because my children have become scattered.

This council has allowed so many people in they cannot cope with them. Despite having thousands on the council waiting list they allow people from other borough's to bid for what limited properties they have available.

I know the leadership will blame the Government stating they they cannot build council properties, all the more reason to limit the numbers coming into the borough anything else is just plain irresponsible.

The schools cannot cope, and the local hospital certainly cannot cope - try getting an appointment.

The irony is that it is the people that this council have spent the last few years ignoring that kept them in power, they may be the very people who take their power away and despite Government initiatives of ploughing money into the borough for the 'white working class youngsters' to get jobs it may be too little too late as most people now do not believe a word the Labour party says as they have heard it all before, including myself and I have been a lifelong supporter.

Janet Kitson

Address withheld