Migrants cause few crimes

Inspector John Merrick said residents' concerns that the influx of thousands of eastern Europeans had been responsible for a crime wave were unfounded.

Upwards of 6,000 mainly Poles, Latvians and Lithuanians have settled in Bognor in the past three years with an obvious presence around the town.

But Inspector Merrick told Bognor Regis Civic Society said: 'A very small percentage of the migrants cause problems for us. There are issues we do address with the Poles and the Latvians.

'But the majority of people causing crime and disorder in Bognor are from Bognor, sadly.'

Some three out of four offenders were well-established locals, he stated.

He added none of the 86 eastern Europeans stopped and searched had been found to be carrying knives.

Insp Merrick said some hostile feeling between different ethnic groups had been apparent on the streets of Bognor on Friday and Saturday nights some six months ago but this seemed to have disappeared.

'We have got to try to change the public perception of the migrants in some ways. We should try to integrate people and share the benefits they bring,' he added.

Bognor police station has a diversity officer, PC Matt Snelson, who works closely with members of the various nationalities who live around the town.