AT lunchtime yesterday, dozens of people gathered in St Helen’s Square for a very special ‘bring and share’ picnic. The aim? To celebrate the contribution made by migrants to the UK.

What a lovely change that makes. Since Brexit,it seems all the talk has been about closing our borders, battening down the hatches, and looking after ourselves first. That is understandable in one way, at a time when so many are struggling. But it fails to take account of the huge contribution that migrants make - and have always made - to this country.

Where would the NHS be today, without the overseas nurses and doctors who keep it going? And who would look after our older people - because many of the care workers who do so came here from abroad?

Yesterday’s gathering reminded us that migrants in York play a huge part in the life of the city: as nurses and doctors; as teachers and volunteers; as restaurateurs, artists, and taxi drivers. York would be a far less rich and diverse place without them.

It is important that we celebrate this contribution. Because, as we reported recently, there has been a surge in hate crime since the Brexit vote.

That surge isn’t as bad as some reports have suggested, Superintendent Mark Khan of North Yorkshire Police stressed today. Reported hate crime rose by 25 per cent in York and North Yorkshire. But that was from a very low base, and represents an increase of just one extra reported hate crime a week.

It’s still desperately worrying, however. We should be better, and more welcoming, than this. Celebrating the contribution migrants make is a great place to start.