FENLAND District Council will lobby the Government for extra money to help tackle problems caused by more migrant workers moving to the area over the next 10 years. The council s bid for extra cash will also include support for Cambridgeshire Chief Consta

FENLAND District Council will lobby the Government for extra money to help tackle problems caused by more migrant workers moving to the area over the next 10 years.

The council's bid for extra cash will also include support for Cambridgeshire Chief Constable Julie Spence, who is seeking extra funding to enable the county police force to cope with the population growth.

The support was led by Councillor Fred Yeulett, who said: "Her (Mrs Spence's) statement regarding resources needed by police to maintain and allow them to do their duties should, I think, be supported by the council. I fully support what the chief constable has said.

"We need to press Government to provide additional resources to address the pressures we are facing."

Councillors adopted the council's new migration strategy, an action plan to respond to the needs of migrant workers and their families across Fenland, at a full council meeting last Thursday.

The council was told by Councillor Martin Curtis that there appeared to be a lot of "racial tension in Fenland, particularly in Wisbech". Councillor Florence Newell said: "There are certainly big problems in Chatteris.

"I am having complaints every day about the problems being faced so if you think the problems are minuscule, you are making a big mistake."

Councillor Kit Owen added that Mrs Spence was right to say the police will need more money to cope with the population growth, particularly the predicted growth of migrant workers moving to the county.

He said: "It is not a fact of crime increasing in Cambridgeshire. It will cost to deal with the issues arising from it - to provide English language courses, to provide interpreters and to provide translators.