The claim appears in a leaflet delivered to Hungarian households as part of the government’s referendum campaign.

The leaflet asserts that there are numerous similar “no-go areas” in cities across Western Europe where the written or unwritten norms of the host society are not asserted.

The Foreign Office said in part: “This leaflet is clearly inaccurate. There are no areas in the UK in which the laws of the UK cannot be enforced.”

A spokesperson said the British embassy in Budapest has expressed concern to the Hungarian government over the leaflet.

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó was taken to task in the BBC’s “Newsnight” programme Tuesday evening.

In an interview recorded in New York, he was asked why the Hungarian government is spreading false claims presenting the UK in a bad light.

Szijjártó said he has been to London, likes it very much and there are no problems. He admitted that the British ambassador in Budapest also objected to the government publication.

Source: Hungary Around the Clock

This news item is one of many published daily by HATC, a premier subscription news service which distributes English-language info about Hungary via email or fax. For a free trial of HATC visit www.hatc.hu and click on 'Free Trial Subscription’.