THE Bishop of Whitby, the Right Reverend Robert Ladds, will join Redcar MP Vera Baird to speak at a public meeting on asylum seekers.

Trade unions, Labour Party members, and the North-East Council For Asylum Rights (Necfar), have organised the meeting to highlight how Britain treats asylum seekers.

In particular, they aim to draw attention to the voucher system, which they consider inadequate.

The meeting will be held at Middlesbrough Town Hall tomorrow, starting at 6.30pm.

It will include a message from Bill Morris, general secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU), plus a speech from the leader of the borough council, Councillor Ken Walker.

Mike Brider, senior regional industrial organiser for the TGWU, said: "We have got together and said we wanted to have this debate and highlight how bad it is being an asylum seeker and having to live with the voucher system.

"The whole issue of asylum seekers must be dealt with in a sensitive fashion."

Mr Brider said the union planned to raise the matter of vouchers at the Labour Party Conference, early next month.