The impact of uncontrolled mass immigration on the fabric of British life was driven home to the party leaders yesterday. A letter to Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg reveals in graphic detail the struggle of one community to cope.
It says public services - from schooling to housing, healthcare to police protection - are overstretched because councils have not been given the support they need.
The letter, from two independent councillors in the Cambridgeshire city of Peterborough, spells out in a straightforward and measured way how a community which 'lived in peace and harmony' has been transformed.
Local schools are struggling to educate children who speak 27 different languages and health services are under unprecedented pressure. The councillors, Charles Swift and Keith Sharp, contrast the situation with that of a few years ago.
Then, they say, 'there was parental choice in education with school places. There was no homelessness. There were no problems with registering at the local doctors for health services.
'Everyone knew the local police officer and they were available at all times. People could walk the streets in safety and talk to their neighbours.'
The two men asked the party leaders for a reply, warning that the problem is a national one. But in another example of the way immigration issues have been brushed under the carpet, they have heard nothing.
The letter has been sent to Mr Brown and Mr Clegg three times since January 18, without any reply. David Cameron responded with an email from his correspondence secretary promising a reply from immigration spokesman Damian Green. Mr Swift and Mr Sharp are still waiting.
The two councillors represent North ward in Peterborough where 15 per cent of people are migrants, mainly from former Communist countries in Eastern Europe which are now EU members.Their letter - which they also sent to constituents - was passed to the Daily Mail by a local resident concerned that its urgent message was being ignored.
The councillors say: 'At our local primary school, Fulbridge, which has a roll of 675 pupils, 27 different languages are spoken with only 200 of the pupils having English as a first language.
'The first-year reception class has 90 pupils, of which only 17 are white British. Every day new arrivals are turned away.
'Registration at the local doctors' surgery has rocketed with more than 90 per cent of the new arrivals being from the EU. There has been a substantial increase in women who are pregnant.
'The Health Service and Primary Care Trust in the city has overspent by millions in the past year.'
A key issue is the Government's failure to support councils.
But Mr Swift and Mr Sharp make clear that the local authority cannot track all new arrivals - crucial information in assessing what they need.
They say there were only four EU citizens on the local electoral roll in 2004. Now there are 537 and 'we know there are substantially more here'.
The councillors also voiced the local fears that immigration is fuelling a rise in crime.
They write: 'We had four police houses in the ward years ago. Everyone knew and respected the local constable. Now we have muggings, robberies, burglaries and neighbour disputes. We have prostitutes, drug dealers and an ever-increasing number of people who drive without road tax or insurance.'Some 16,000 migrants, many seeking farm work, have moved to the Peterborough area since 2004. Immigrant communities account for 64 per cent of the population growth.
Details of the letter emerged a day after the Daily Mail revealed shocking figures showing that nearly every job created under Labour has gone to a foreign worker. Some 98.5 per cent of 1.67million new posts went to immigrants.
In their letter, Mr Swift and Mr Sharp say the arrival of so many migrants has left Peterborough's housing system in chaos, with immigrants sleeping rough and relying on the Salvation Army for food.
They say many properties have been bought by speculators and turned into multioccupancy dwellings let to immigrants.
'The consequence is that our housing waiting lists have rocketed and our homeless hostels are full.'
This reinforces reports of migrants living in makeshift huts along the local river and slaughtering swans to eat.
The councillors' concerns were echoed last night in a Harris poll for the Daily Mail, which reveals that seven out of ten voters are 'very worried' about the scale of immigration and believe it is a 'significant cause of unrest'.
Some 63 per cent think the influx of two million immigrants under Labour has been a 'bad thing' and three out of four want a tough limit on new arrivals.
Mr Swift, 79, a former train driver and trade unionist who was awarded the OBE for his council services, said last night: 'The political leaders must listen to ordinary people.
'There must be a control on migrant numbers coming in. It is what people want. They feel the situation has got out of hand. I have spoken to rocksolid Labour supporters, rocksolid Conservative supporters. They don't know how to vote.'
Sir Andrew Green, head of the Migrationwatch campaign group, called the letter 'a vivid and convincing account of the impact of immigration'. He added: 'It is shameful that these councillors should have received no substantive reply'.
Last night a Tory spokesman said a reply from Mr Green is due to be sent before MPs' offices close on Monday.
A spokesman for Mr Brown said: 'We are not currently aware of this correspondence but of course Gordon will answer any questions that are asked of him.'
Nick Clegg's spokesman said: 'We are very sorry these councillors have not received a reply. They will be getting one as soon as possible.'
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