Schools, hospitals and police spend more than £1.6million of Kent taxpayers' money on services for people who do not have English as their first language. More than £1million of the money is spent in the county's schools.

But how do the public services cope with residents who speak numerous different languages?

More than 80 languages are spoken in schools in Gravesham and Dartford where English is the second language for more than 12 per cent of pupils.

A Language Line in Kent offers a translation service in 170 languages for public service. The county's paramedics have a multi-lingual phrase book.

At least one Kent MP has expressed concern. Gravesham Conservative MP Adam Holloway is concerned that public services are buckling under the pressures.

He said: "I find it very worrying that councils up and down the country are telling the Government that their infrastructure and services are collapsing under the weight of immigration.

"Yet schools, hospitals and other services are expected to provide services for people who may or may not be entitled to be here."

According to a new report by the Institute of Public Policy Research more than 19,000 migrants from eastern Europe have come to Kent since eight new countries joined the European Union in 2004.

But it is likely that up to half have already left, very few claim state benefits - and most work a 46-hour week. Read the story here >>>

Education

Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Educational Achievement, Chris Wells, admitted immigration was an added pressure on schools. But he assured that Kent schools were coping.

"We have specific allocated money from the government to deal with this in schools. £150,000 goes towards specialist advice to schools and another £911,000, which goes out to 23 clusters in the county to make sure it is available locally to meet the need in this area," he said.

"We also work in partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University to obtain teachers and teaching assistants to teach English as an additional language.

"It is an added pressure and there is a tendency for immigrants to be attracted to disenfranchised areas of the county, which we are trying to ensure that we have the resources to deal with."

Health services

Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford spent £100,000 on interpreters in three years. Punjabi, Turkish and Cantonese are the three most commonly used launguages.

At the other end of the county, the East Kent Hospitals Trust revealed they spend £36,000 a year on interpreting services, Turkish and Slovenic being the most used.

Emergency services

Kent Police spent £419,531 between 2006 and 2007 on interpreting services, £25,000 more than the period between 2005 to 2006 and £77,364 more than five years ago.

The South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust spends £3,500 a year on using Language Line in Kent. Kent Fire and Rescue Service and the Maritime Coastguard Agency also use the 24 hour service.

Ambulances are also provided with a multi-lingual emergency phase book, which was developed by London Ambulance Service and the Ambulance Service Association and has a range of common questions, which ambulance clinicians would use in more than 30 languages.