Why are there fewer kids playing football in the street? Because of immigration, says Ukip

Ukip MEP Patrick O'Flynn believes families feel less safe due to immigration and are less likely to let their children play in the street

A young boy play's football in a street in Govan (Getty)

Kids are less likely to play football on the street nowadays due to mass immigration, according to Ukip’s campaign chief.

Patrick O’Flynn, a Ukip MEP, said “uncontrolled” immigration had led to families fearful for their children’s safety when playing on the street.

Neighbours were less likely to know each other – another reason why children were less likely to arrange a football match, he added.

Ukip's campaign chief Patrick O'Flynn

He was responding to questions about Nigel Farage’s assertion yesterday that he wanted to live in a society where kids played football in the streets and society was at ease with itself.

Mr O’Flynn said: "Probably the biggest factor of children not playing football in the street is the amount of traffic it has to be said.

"But I do also think the very fast pace of immigration, uncontrolled, does put pressure on community cohesion and leads not just to children but to parents worrying about the public spaces and the safety and familiarity.

Nigel Farage unveiled Ukip’s latest campaign poster in Dover yesterday (Getty) (Getty Images)

"If you're in a community where everyone knows each other and the local children are all friends and have had time to get to know each other they are more likely to be able to arrange a game of football with each other and to feel completely safe about going out and playing it.

"I would suggest that seems like common sense to me."

Asked who was to blame for families not talking to each other, Mr O’Flynn said some immigrations did not hold the same core values as British citizens who had lived in the same area for longer.

But he acknowledged that even if all immigrants did share the same values as the Britons around them, community cohesion would still be eroded because no-one would know each other.

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