Fenland army

Farm workers planting celery in a field near Ely, Cambs, yesterday – hours after a flight carrying 180 Romanian workers arrived at Stansted in Essex.

It comes after farmers launched a campaign to recruit more British workers to help with fruit and vegetable picking. Fruit-picking jobs are being rejected by nearly 85 per cent of British workers who initially registered their interest. The Alliance of Ethical Labour Providers said it had received 36,000 applications of interest, but only 6,000 had opted for an interview.