THE new year started with a lot of controversy about the number of people who might enter the UK from Romania and Bulgaria.

But one local businessman is going to Romania to look for staff himself.

Jason Harris, director of the IMS Group in Ringwood, says it’s proving very difficult for small and medium-sized businesses to fill jobs locally.

Rather than decrying the unemployed as lazy, he suggests other reasons, such as an over-reliance on agencies.

Whether or not you agree, his views are worth considering as a thoughtful contribution to an important debate.