IMMIGRATION FEATURE: IT worker Varaprasad Karamchedu thought long and hard before deciding to uproot his family from India and move here.

He was the South Asia regional training manager for Motorola when he was offered a position based at its Swindon HQ.

Mr Karamchedu, 39, was able to come to Swindon because he was granted a work permit.

For three years he has been living in Eastleaze with his wife Madhavi and two children Neeharika, 13, and Ambarish, 10.

He said: "I was shocked when the offer came through. I was just living a regular life in India and then all of a sudden we had to think about living abroad.

"We think it is a lovely town, very picturesque. We like being close to the countryside and we have had no problems settling in.

"We try and keep a balance between living in this country and retaining our culture. We celebrate Hindu festivals and the children live dual lives. They are thoroughly Indian at home and keep in touch with family back home via web cameras so it is not just chats on the phone.

"It looks like we are going to be here for another couple of years. If I work at the same job for four years we can apply for permanent residency."