MORE than two and a half thousand workers from eastern Europe have flooded to Warrington in the past two years.

Home Office figures show that 2,652 people from countries recently added to the EU have come to the town to work between May 2004 and June 2006.

The figures track the numbers of people from Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Latvia, Hungary and Estonia who have moved to the borough since the countries were allowed to join the European Union.

Although most people coming to work in the town are from Poland, last year the town also proved popular with Slovenians.

Most of those heading to Warrington are working in warehouses - figures show 801 people are employed as warehouse operatives within the borough.

There are 603 people employed as process operatives and 135 people working as packers.

Other popular vocations include cleaners, kitchen and catering assistants, care assistants, labourers, hotel maids, meat food processing operatives and waiters.

The data has been compiled by the University of Liverpool, which has produced a research paper on supporting migrant workers in the north west of England.

The statistics also show that the National Insurance number applications from residents of Eastern European countries, as well as Malta and Cyprus, who are living in Warrington have shot up by 270 per cent in the past year. In 2004/2005, 80 applications were made, compared to 670 last year, 420 of those were men.

Across the north west, 36,555 migrants have registered for work since April 2004.

hcartwright@guardiangrp.co.uk