AS a pensioner myself, and one who is continually campaigning for our rights, I would ask "Bury Pensioner" (Your Letters, June 11) not to devalue our genuine case for a fair deal by a thoughtless attack on people who seek refuge because they are in fear of their lives.

We have three kinds of immigrant. Those genuine asylum-seekers who we, to a large extent, have created by arming the repressive regimes which force them to leave their country; the so-called economic migrants, who are only doing what we have done over the past century (indeed, it was only in the 1980s the numbers coming into this country finally exceeded those leaving it); and those nasty illegal immigrants who must have, for whatever reason, been suffering terrible conditions to want to leave their homeland and have paid out thousands of pounds to risk their lives to get here, only to then finish up under the control of the scum who bring them in.

"Bury Pensioner" talks about handouts. Would he like to live on £36 per week, be held in prison conditions for up to 12 months and, without understanding the language, have no chance to defend himself? Only this week I raed of a young mother who, after three years working as a nurse in this country, is being threatened with deportation. That is after the taxpayer has paid out £40,000 to train her.

This situation is the result of David Blunkett's policies in response to the mindless rantings of the tabloid media. Please, "Bury Pensioner", join us in campaigning to defend our pensions and care homes, but don't attack innocent victims.

JIM HOMEWOOD,

Bury Pensioners Association.