More bad press for Boston - now we discriminate

Boston is back making bad national news headlines yet again, with comprehensive pieces on national TV and Tuesday's Today programme on Radio 4.
The subject this time?
Local estate agents using illegal techniques to stop foreign workers viewing properties. The BBC featured three agents - B and B Mortgage services, AP Sales, and Bruseless Mather and Co - all if whom rejected a Polish worker sent by the BBC, while a BBC employee was allowed to view the properties.
One of the three companaies featured denied it discriminated in this way, another said it had created a new race-relations policy, and the third refused to comment.
But in total, the programme found that 14 out of 23 agents were prepared to discriminate.
There was no suggestion that the agents were racist, but the behaviour uncovered was described by human rights lawyers as a "disturbing and shocking" breach of the Race Relations Act of 1976 - which outlaws discrimination on the basis of race, religion, colour, religious beliefs, national or ethnic origins. Any discrimination against potential tenants or any plan to do so agreed with a landlord is also a breach of the National Association of Estate Agents mandatory code of practice for its members.
Initially, migrant workers had complained to the BBC that they were having problems gaining access to rental properties. So an undercover BBC correspondent, posing as a landlord, approached most of the rental agencies serving the town to ask if it was possible to rent out a property and ensure those of a non-British nationality were prevented from viewing it. Many refused to break the law, but more than half were prepared to discriminate against potential tenants on the basis of their nationality, on the instruction of the landlord. The estate agents' professional body has promised to investigate the claims.
But in the meantime, we feel that a stern message should be sent out to these people - possibly through Boston BID or Boston Borough Council - making it clear that their actions are threatening the town's image, which, let's face it, is bad enough already.
We cannot on the one hand celebrate Boston's "diversity", whilst denying those who are guests in our community the same rights as the indigenous population.
If the immigrant labour force is as vital to the Boston economy as the town's great and good keep telling us, then these unpleasant, anti-social - not to mention illegal - practices must be nipped in the bud as soon as possible.

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