Bedford's Italian community expresses alarm and isolation at consulate closure
The Italian Consulate in Bedford is due for closure in September, as Rome rationalises its British operations. The town's 16,000 strong Italian population will now have to travel to London or use the internet to arrange their affairs, renew their passports or clarify their wills. The mood among the first generation of the community is one of alarm and abandonment, unconvinced by the consuls "process of realignment".
