We must learn from the riots in France

THE riots in French cities are a grim warning of what could happen here if the underlying causes - poverty, social deprivation, racism and xenophobia - are not tackled soon.

For years, successive French governments have been warned that poor neighbourhoods in many cities were at boiling point because of official neglect and rampant racism, but to no avail.

The same applies to the current FF/PD Government, who have been in power since large-scale immigration to our country began.