I come from Wisbech where agriculture plays a key role in the local economy.

It is famed for its black fertile soil – and its thousands of migrant workers who have been accused of taking jobs once held by locals.

I really like the idea of this programme on BBC 1 this evening with Evan Davis.

Since 2004 this once prosperous market town has received up to 9,000 immigrants seeking work – the majority from Eastern Europe. But with nearly 2,000 locals unemployed and claiming benefits, many of them blame the foreign workers for their predicament.

To test if the town needs so many foreign workers, immigrant employees are temporarily removed from their jobs, and the work given to the local unemployed. Now the town’s British workers have a chance to prove they can do it.

Eleven British unemployed workers are recruited to go into a range of different Wisbech workplaces including a potato company, an asparagus farm, an Indian restaurant and a building site run by a local landlord.

I doubt the Fennies will be a match for the migrant workers. But then it wouldn’t make good TV if they succeeded. I wonder if any of the locals ended up with a job offer….

*Evan writes in today’s Times “Foreigners – they didn’t steal our jobs: they created them”. He’s got a point.