Richard Lloyd, of Sherford, Kingsbridge, writes:

I wrote the following letter to our MP Dr Sarah Woollaston on August 6:

‘My wife, Audrey, and I are very concerned by the negative attitude of the UK Government towards these courageous and unhappy people who have risked so much to try to seek asylum in this country and we endorse completely the outspoken comments of the Bishop of Dover reported in last week’s Observer.

We know that it is a many-sided and complex problem, but it seems to us that the ­attitude of ‘Keep Them Out’ is completely contrary to our long history as a compassionate nation’.

I raised this issue at the ­village service in Sherford Church this morning and found broad – but not unanimous – agreement.

The churchwarden has encouraged members of the congregation to express similar concerns by also writing to our MP, and I would suggest that anyone who shares our views on this important, albeit thorny, issue should do the same.