Ion Jinga, the Romanian Ambassador to London for the past five years, said that Britons need not fear a “tsunami” or a second Eastern European “invasion” when the current limits are lifted on December 31.

Ministers have repeatedly refused to give estimates on how many Romanians and Bulgarians will come to the UK when working restrictions are lifted.

Campaigners are wary about the numbers expected to come to the UK after the Labour Government completely under-estimated the number of Poles who came to live in Britain after the borders were opened in 2004.

Two people have been killed and 13 injured when a helicopter crashed into a crane in central London. Police said the helicopter had hit the crane on top of The Tower, One St George Wharf at about 08:00 GMT. About 90 firefighters are at the scene near Wandsworth Road in South Lambeth. Doctors said one of the dead was the pilot and the other was on the ground. A man was rescued from a burning car by firefighters. Burning wreckage lay in the road but the fire was brought under control within 25 minutes, the fire brigade said.

MORE than three inches of snow could bring travel disruption to the UK today and tomorrow as a cold snap creeps in from northeast Europe.

The Midlands and eastern England are at risk of being worst hit with between 2in and 4in forecast, while the Met Office also issued a “yellow” warning for Wales and southern, western and northern England.