NEWPORT West’s Tory prospective candidate for Westminster accused his Labour rival of using “disrespectful” language towards refugees.

Conservative Nick Webb criticised a passage in Labour prospective candidate Paul Flynn's campaign leaflet which, under the heading ‘Fair immigration’, said: “In 2010 I promised to challenge the abuse of our hospitality by migrants while welcoming our fair share here. Government has cheated. Excessive numbers have been dumped here including at least one criminal because his London home area did not want him. I have expressed the city’s anger to those responsible. Improvements will follow.”

Mr Flynn believes the spread of asylum seekers across the country is “grotesquely uneven”, with many more in Newport and Cardiff than constituencies headed by senior Tories.

He referred to Joland Giwa, said to be a gang leader, who was sent to live in Newport despite having no links here. Giwa recently admitted a charge of robbery and is awaiting sentence.

But Mr Webb said: “I think the language used is disrespectful. It is sweeping terminology backed up with just one example of someone who is a criminal, who I think there’s pretty much uniform agreement should be deported, but owing to the problem of identifying where he’s from he can’t be. If Paul Flynn knows enough evidence to get him deported I’m sure the Home Secretary would be pleased to hear it.

“There’s no need to tarnish all asylum seekers.

“There is quite a distinct difference between economic migrants and asylum seekers and I think it’s important the terminology does not get mixed up. Some of these people have gone through horrific violence and persecution and often have to leave family members and familiar surroundings. But they come determined to play a part in the community, to earn a wage and provide for their families. I think they deserve better than simply to be described as “dumped here”.

“I don’t think Newport has integration problems which are greater than other parts of the country. But I don’t think this leaflet is going to help.”

Referring to the distinction between migrants and asylum seekers, Mr Flynn said: "It’s a piffling point and I believe most fair-minded people would recognise Newport has been treated unfairly. I wouldn’t change a word of my leaflets, but I would change his to make them grammatically correct.

“I think Nick Webb would be better spending his time trying to persuade his own party, including the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and the Home Secretary, to accept asylum seekers into their own constituencies.

“I’m proud of the fact I have raised this at a national level. It’s my job to protect the interests of Newport, which I have done. While there is an advantage to asylum seekers, there are also strains for example on schools when you have large numbers of children who don’t have English as a first language."