New arrivals in Bedfordshire from overseas can be sure of a warm welcome and plenty of help, according to police.

Charlie Whiteside, of the community safety and diversity department at Bedfordshire Police, sent the message out to the county's immigrant community today.

She made her comments following last week's raids on a string of brothels in Bedford and Luton, which also led to five arrests, and three women being identified as victims of international sex trafficking.

Mrs Whiteside said: "These are not major problems in Bedfordshire, but it is something we are keeping on top of.

"Working with immigrant communities is a major part of our work. That covers hate crimes as well as sex trafficking, and more common problems like people committing traffic offences or carrying weapons.

"The law is often different in the UK to the law in other countries, even in Europe, and people do not always know of those differences.

"We know that we have to work with communities for them to feel that they can approach us, and we have to be approachable for people to tell us what is going on in their communities.

"And not only do new arrivals want to feel safe, but longer-established immigrants want their new generation to be integrated too."

Projects being worked on by the community safety and diversity department include regular meetings with the Polish-British Integration Centre, and community cohesion officers speaking every week to a range of community leaders, youth groups and religious leaders.

There are also plans to install plasma screens at Luton Airport carrying messages for new arrivals written in Polish, and for closer liaison with authorities in Poland to give advice on the differences in the law.

Mrs Whiteside added: "You also have to remember that we see an awful lot of footfall when people come to England from Eastern European via Luton Airport, including eight flights a day coming from Poland.

"Not all of those people will stay in this area, but we have the opportunity to welcome them to this country and to advise them.

"Imagine if you were Polish, you did not speak much English, but you were coming here to start a new life. As you are standing at immigration at the airport you might wonder if you made the right decision.

"Having a screen up at the airport, with writing in Polish, is something that you would really notice. So messages like 'the police are here to look after you and to work with you', and 'do not bring weapons into this country,' can really have an impact."

Anyone with information about hate crimes, sex trafficking, or other crimes affecting the immigrant community, can contact Charlie Whiteside at Bedfordshire Police's community safety and diversity department on 01234 842817. They can also call 01234 844278, 01582 394271, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.