JOHN Blunt's article, 'Passing le buck' (LET, July 28), certainly hit the nail on the head.

We are the soft touch of the world. Our social security system leaves nothing to be desired for many asylum seekers and refugees and others who have paid nothing into the system yet are able to claim all.

I fail to see how the French can be allowed to off-load so many of these unfortunate people on to our shores, nor how we can go on supporting this ever-increasing influx of people.

When is our government going to stop dodging the issue and do something positive? It's not possible to keep loading up the cart and not expect the wheels to buckle or, even worse, kill the horse.

A ROBINSON (Mrs), Windermere Road, Padiham.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.