BBC Breakfast fans switch off over 'painful' immigration segment

BBC Breakfast viewers were switching off in droves over a controversial immigration segment, which explored the illegal shops opening up on British high streets. Presenters Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt were on the red sofa to introduce the coverage from one UK town taken over by shops selling illegal cigarettes, drugs and Turkish barber shops used as a "front" for criminal activity.

Members of the public explained they would be too frightened to walk down the street at night, before UK Editor Ed Thomas walked down Newport high street with a local Trading Standards enforcer. He explained: "Steve says most of the shops are staffed by Iranian and Iraqi Kurds."

Ed and Steve went on to speak to one legitimate businessman who came to the UK from Turkey and spent 26 years building up his shop to leave to his children. Ed explained: "He's angry. He wants the illegal shops closed for good," as the shopkeeper claimed the illegal shops are selling everything from "heroin" to "women".

Ed later headed to Swansea, where one Trading Standards officer had hit the same shop 12 times. The officer said: "What we find is that [the shops are] used for tobacco in the day, drugs at night."

Unhappy viewers at home took to social media to share their thoughts, with one fuming: "It's non-stop issues with illegal and legal immigrants... I'm glad BBC is starting to show us snippets of what's happening in Britain - the rest, I need to look elsewhere."

Another echoed: "Shut the shops and deport them. Where are the government and authorities? Never thought I'd say this but voting Reform might be the only option for people who want the country back as it was."

While someone else fumed: "Watching #bbcbreakfast is actually painful because I recognise so much of my own high street and it's just making me furious that actual shops have closed down for vape shops and weird barbers."