The Royal National Lifeboat Institution has rejected accusations it is operating a “migrant taxi service” by rescuing people at risk of dying in the water as they cross the Channel in small boats.

The volunteer lifeboat charity said it was “very proud” of its humanitarian work and vowed that it would continue to respond to coastguard callouts. Some volunteers have faced abuse, including having beer cans thrown at them and people shouting “f*** off back to France”.

My comment: I believe that Epicurus would have been a staunch advocate of taking in the refugees who have travelled thousands of dangerous miles to reach a safe place where there are no (or very few, anyway) religious zealots wanting to kill anyone who is not an upholder of pre-historic, reactionary social and religious teachings.

By the way, what will the British protestors do when they see Afghans, who have helped Britain and America in that benighted country, seeking shelter and jobs in Britain? Somewhere in history each and every one of us has someone in the family’s past who fled to England (my own family included) from some upheaved and dangerous situation.