'We're Poles and we're here to stay'

Anna and her husband Daniel were todaydue to open their new food shop in the town centre.

Bite of Poland will be the fourth shop to cater for the tastes of the thousands of residents from eastern Europe who have settled in the town.

Mrs Lisicki said the couple's business manager had advised them to open in Bognor because of the estimated 10,000 Poles who live in the town. That large number would inevitably start to change the face of Bognor as many of them settled down and made a new life here.

'There are some people who say '˜go back to your own country' because they don't like people coming over here and taking their jobs,' she said.

'I don't comment to them because that's the easiest way not to get in an argument with them. This is their country and they have the right to say that. I know we are all Europeans now, but this is not our country.

'But we have worked hard to buy our house and start up our own business. This is the way we can show those English people we do work hard to get the money to do those things.

'We don't want any benefits or things like that. The English friends we have say we are known for being hard-working and reliable.'

Mr Lisicki said the Bognor area would continue to be attractive to eastern Europeans because of the availability of work in factories and farms.

'Even if you don't speak English, you can still work in some of those jobs,' he said.

Mr and Mrs Lisicki moved to England from Lublin in eastern Poland eight years ago.

Mr Lisicki (31) worked as a driver and installer for the equivalent of BT.

Mrs Lisicki (30) sold advertising in a newspaper.

They lived in London for two years until Mrs Lisicki became pregnant.

She explained: 'We decided to move to Bognor. We thought it would be easier for our children to grow up in a nice quiet place and easier for us because everything is local.

'When we first came to Bognor, there were few of us and we knew all the Polish people here. There are now so many of us it's impossible for us to do that.'

They both worked as care assistants with round-the-clock day and night shifts meaning they were apart for up to four days at a time.

They also studied for a series of NVQs to boost their skills and pay.

This enabled them to buy a house in Collyer Avenue in which to bring up their two children.

The next step to improving their fortunes is to start their own business.

Their initial thoughts were to open in Chichester, but their business advisor cautioned against that because of the estimated population there was less than 1,000.

He said Bognor would be a better prospect. 'We know the population of Polish people is quite big for this small town,' said Mrs Lisicki.

'There's another Polish shop here, as well as a Russian one and a Lithuanian one.

'We felt there would be space for another Polish shop. Two will be just about enough.'

The couple are opening Bite of Poland in York Road in premises which have been empty for many months. They were formerly occupied by a church and a college.

The shop will sell food such as sausages, meat, bread and ready meals as well as soft drinks.

Alcohol will follow if they gain a licence. They will employ two assistants.

Another sign of the changing times is the presence of a full-time Polish priest at the Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Bognor.

He takes a Sunday Mass which Mrs Lisicki said was popular with those from her home country. Previously, a priest drove from Brighton to hold a monthly service.