'Working in Britain will give me a decent wage'

Anna, 28, an economist from Warsaw, will be among the first new EU citizens to take advantage of her right to work in Britain.

A graduate, she has been with a large Polish bank for three years. But her £220-a-month salary has not changed in that time and promotion is unlikely.

She cannot afford to move out of her parents' home and her only luxury is a 17-year-old car.

Describing Poland as "a grey country with sad people", she sees her future in England. "I'm well-educated, I speak English and I'm sure I'll get a good job.

I can't in Poland. It is a strange country and you need more luck than intellect to get on."

Anna, who has never been to Britain, says she will wait until May to come rather than risk deportation by working illegally.

"To start with I will look for a job in a restaurant or as a nanny," she says. "After a year, when I know the country, I'll try to find work in a bank or a financial institution.

"I know it will be difficult but it can't be worse than Poland."