Gloucester MP Richard Graham defends immigrant recycling comments

Image caption, Mr Graham's remarks have been described as "divisive" and "insulting"

A Conservative MP has defended comments he made in a newsletter suggesting immigrants could be educated on how to recycle.

Richard Graham made the suggestion in a letter emailed to constituents which talked about how best to reduce waste going to landfill.

Opposition candidates have called his remarks "divisive" and "insulting" and demanded he apologises.

Mr Graham said the issues he had highlighted were "entirely factual".

In the entitled Close to Closure - The Gloucester Tip, he wrote: "There is still more work in our city and all of our county to recycle more - which also implies an education programme for immigrants not used to urban recycling."

The Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate, Dr Rebecca Trimnell, said she was "disappointed" and demanded Mr Graham apologises.

Her Labour counterpart, Fran Boait, described Mr Graham's remarks as "divisive" and "insulting".

Mr Graham said: "When we've got 44 nationalities at a primary school in Barton, it also means we have got challenges in some of the homes of those involved to understand and communicate in English, to recent arrivals.

"What I am talking about is entirely factual, it's one of the problems we do have and it needs to be tackled and we will do so."