COUNCIL leader John Beesley has spoken out to reassure foreign workers that they are welcome in Bournemouth.

At a full council meeting on Wednesday, Councillor Philip Stanley-Watts asked that the authority provide reassurance to the "businesses and restaurants from many cultures and countries" that they were "important to Bournemouth".

In response, Cllr Beesley said: "Following the EU referendum, I have been concerned about various reports I have seen, both nationally and locally, regarding foreign workers feeling undervalued or even unwelcome.

"I am concerned to the point where I feel obliged to re-emphasise that, here in Bournemouth, we welcome the very positive contribution that EU citizens and foreign workers make in many sectors of our local economy."

He said such workers provided "invaluable skills and dedication".

"Whether it is in the NHS or the care sector, whether it is providing a welcome to our international visitors in a diverse hospitality industry or in the very significant global financial services sector, the positive contribution to the town economically, socially and culturally is hugely valuable."