Southend Borough Council is calling for financial assistance from the government to provide extra facilities for an influx of pupils from eastern Europe.

But it rejects claims from local MP, David Amess, that the asylum seekers are creating a shortage of places, with the borough asserting that it can accommodate all pupils in need of a school place.

The borough, which has 88 asylum-seeker pupils in its primary and secondary schools, says that extra money is needed to hire interpreters and to provide for counsellors.

The pupils, who come from countries including Bosnia, Croatia, Yugoslavia and Zaire, need support with learning English.

A council spokesman says that a number of these pupils are also in need of help from counsellors, having experienced trauma, bereavement and disruptions before leaving their homelands.

The council is calling on the government to provide extra funds to help schools with asylum seekers, in the same way that it provides additional support for schools with traveller pupils.