ROME'S NEW MAYOR PROMISES TO PURGE CITY OF IMMIGRANTS

Will this serve as a model to the rest of Europe? Is the proverbial poop about to hit the proverbial fan?

The new mayor of Rome has promised to purge the Italian capital of 20,000 illegal immigrants and to raze 85 gipsy camps.

Gianni Alemanno, 50, a firebrand neo-fascist and the first Right-wing mayor of the city since the Second World War, vowed to make Rome "secure" as he was sworn into office after his election at the weekend.

The election of Mr Alemanno confirmed a strong shift to the Right by Italians, who have been sickened by a spate of violent crimes committed by immigrants.

The new mayor said that his first action would be to begin "immediate expulsions" of the 20,000 immigrants in the city with criminal records.

"We cannot welcome them without discipline," he said. "We will chase out the delinquents. There are 85 abusive nomad camps to destroy."

Not surprisingly, cries of fascist are ringing out from the left. But what is the alternative? A never ending stream immigrants and the destruction of Italian society?