First of all I would like to make clear that we are all the same, just talking different language.

I remember moving to Northampton, full of excitment and hope with a helping hand given to me by my colleagues at work (all English lads).

Many of them travelled to Poland in the 1980s (I working in the transport sector).

Those people had been introduced to Polish culture and traditions and they respect them.

What is worrying me recently is that I observe more improper actions and behavioural issues leading to conflict between our two nationalities living in our town.

Yes, our town.

A vast majority of us Poles treat Northampton as a place to live, place to work, place to raise children and educate them along with their English colleagues.

As you probably know there are big numbers of Poles leaving this country because the Polish economy is booming (which comes along with good wages), and because of the poor pound exchange rate (for those who are only temporarily in UK) and, most importantly, because of the way Poles are treated at workplace in Northamptonshire.

Many Polish workers are underpaid and work long hours.

Employers prefer eastern European workers because a lack of English language leads to a lack of complaints by Polish staff.

This procedure is leading to antagonisms between both nationalities.

Just to make it clear, most Poles are here to assimilate not alienate!

One story came to my mind.

A few days ago my mother, age 51, who is working in Northamptonshire via an employment agency, described to me the atmosphere in her workplace.

She was in tears as in the fifth week of her work she experienced shouting at her, abuse and a decrease in her wages.

She was treated as a new era slave.

This is a common practice in Northamptonshire if not all of the UK.

My final thought is let's live and work together in respect.

Our common history paths can show us how to do this.
Mr Maciej Sawicki,
Claregate, Northampton.

We are a small, crowded island
With regard to David Haddon's submission of August 18, while I am sure neither Keith Jackson nor Doug Buckle have any intent to offend anyone with their issues raised regarding immigration, neither do I.

However, there are many points that must be considered.

The UK is a small island and can only sustain a limited number of inhabitants upon it.

If you consider the size of China and its population compared to that of the UK, the UK has a far greater population per square mile than China, even though China is the most populated country in the world.

It has already been established that within a few short years, carbon produced by the population of the UK will far outweigh that of carbon produced by vehicles or any other means.

It is therefore clear that there must be a serious and meaningful cutback and control of immigration into Great Britain.

We have not been great since successive Governments commenced measures to curtail the highly productive manufacturing industries in this country.

They continuously allow and support companies to export British jobs, eg, call centres and many manufacturing industries and import cheap labour from the East European countries.

The English and their heritage are being bled dry by these tactics.

We will soon become a third-world country ourselves.

All this country appears to do now, is spend and send our monies abroad, fighting wars that have nothing to do with us.

Bring our troops home and spend our money putting our problems right.
W S Dean,
Cameron Close, Duston, Northampton.

Disgust over the abandoned dogs
I've read the story in the Chronicle & Echo about the credit crunch blamed for abandoned dogs . . . what a load of piffle.

These people are abandoning their dogs because they don't want them anymore.

Perhaps if a lot of these people are not very well off, the PDSA will treat their pets, or if these people smoke say 20 a day and they cut down to 10 a day, then that is at least £17.50 saved.

You can do it if you really want to.

I have a poodle who has to be clipped and bathed every eight weeks but I manage and I am on income support.

I am afraid it's the sad old story: have a pet, get fed up with it and abandon it.

It has been going on for years and always will.

It is disgusting.
Margaret Rouse,
Exeter Place, Northampton.

Mystery jewels
Why the need to show the stolen jewellery (Chron, August 21)? Surely the police collect so much information these days that they have all the details they require to locate the owner(s).

Or is it that some people just do not bother to report break-ins, thus making a total mockery of the statistics the Government wants us to believe?
D Irvine,
Booth Rise, Northampton.