SOUTH Somerset MP Marcus Fysh has reassured foreign nationals living in the district that they should not be the victim of hate crime following the EU referendum vote.

Mr Fysh was speaking after a spate of terror attacks in Germany and France, and an increase in reported hate crime in recent weeks against immigrants.

He said that Britain should be open and welcome to any EU national that resided in the country before the referendum, and said that "hope and help" is there for anybody who is a victim of hate crime.

Mr Fysh said: "Recent attacks on innocent people in Europe have been dreadful, whether motivated by militant intolerance or arising from the vulnerability of people with adverse mental health.

"We all have a responsibility not to accept intolerance and violence, and hate is never the answer to disagreements or difference.

"I want members of our community to know and feel that there is hope and help that they can turn to, whoever they are and wherever they are from.

"We all help create the world around us, and our collective influence is powerful. I wrote some time ago about the positive impact we can have as individuals, with something as simple as a smile, to make our high streets sociable and enjoyable. I am grateful to everybody, including our churches and civic leaders, for emphasising that help and hope are there.

"Our society's reputation is for civility, tolerance and the rule of law, and for democracy to set the laws that regulate it. Political accountability and acceptance of the extent of that society go hand in hand, binding it together.

"That is why acts of terror designed to undermine our peaceful settlement of these things must be resisted. It is why hard won freedoms that exist at their heart must be protected.

"And it is why our future is bright, in the knowledge that we have voted for their preservation.

"Our beautiful islands are an outward looking part of a beautiful world, and we should be proud of our welcome. We are respected and should respect others. I am clear that anyone who was entitled to be here prior to the EU referendum should be entitled to stay, to be welcomed, and be sure of their rights. And for problems, we should offer help, hope and understanding, never hate.