Hearing Donald Trump, JD Vance et al spouting baseless, racist claims about Haitian immigrants stealing and eating pet cats and dogs, reminded me that this is a recurring fabrication of the right and far right. Back in my Fleet Street days, I remember covering the Sun newspaper's equally incendiary - and equally untrue - story, 'Swan Bake'. That claimed that ''callous asylum seekers'' (because what other kind is there?) from Eastern Europe were poaching and barbecuing swans from the Royal Parks. It followed up the next day with ''Now they're after our fish'', based on another unsubstantiated - and false - rumour, devoid of fact ... or fact checking. Then there was the ever-original Daily Star's story about ''asylum seekers ...'' [them again!] '' ... eating our donkeys'' which, surprise surprise, was also complete cobblers.