LIB DEM Parliamentary candidate for St Albans Sandy Walkington has been attacked by national papers for remarks about mixed-race relationships in Britain.

In an interview with pupils of St Albans School which has just gone online as part of a BBC project, Mr Walkington said: "We've always as a country been strongest when we have welcomed immigration, and we are all mongrels.

"This is the most mongrel country in the world.

"In fact, it's a country with the most mixed race relationships in the world.

"In 200 years time, we'll all be coffee coloured, and I welcome that."

His words were reported by the News Of The World and today's Daily Mail, which described them as "potentially explosive", "naive" and "incendiary".

Conservative MP Anne Main said: "Mr Walkington should use more temperate language.

"Only dogs should be described as mongrels - not people of any sort.

"It is derogatory, and it risks playing into the hands of some unpleasant parties.

"Immigration is of serious concern to many people, and we need a sensible debate about it.

"This doesn't help us have a rational debate at all."

Mr Walkington said "This is deeply pathetic - they are increasingly cluthing at straws.

"I am half English and half Scottish, while my wife is partly Italian and partly Irish.

"That sort of mix is reflected right across the nation.

"I made it perfectly clear in the interview that the Liberal Democrats have a tough immigration policy.

"We will have regional work permits so economic migrants are directed to where the jobs are."