Even before Poland joined the EU in 2004, there were quite a few Poles living and working in Britain. Getting a work permit in a low employment economy, when you have specific skills, isn't so difficult.

In 2001 there were about 59,000 Polish nationals living and working in the UK. In October 2006, the number of registered workers had swollen to 265,000, today it's 786,000. This probably makes them Britain's fastest growing ethnic minority.

They typically earn about £20,000 (almost 3 times as much as they could earn back home). Many are builders, but nearly half are working in other types of jobs. The Federation of Master Builders is positive about the influx of workers, noting that the skill levels of the Poles are high, and there is more than enough work to go around.

That said, the Polish builder influx may have driven prices down which isn't to everyone's liking. Some other EU nationals grumble that their rich picking grounds are gone. Some British-born builders are sniffy about the newcomers' credentials, experience, and suspect inclination to pay all relevant taxes/adhere to regulations.They are said to work a lot harder than the average British builder.

I live in Reading and haven't seen many of them in this area. So where are they ?