It is unlikely that Berkshire-born filmmaker Jan Dunn got much support from the Margate Tourist Office for her gritty exposé of the plight of Britain’s East European refugees.

The coastal Kent town is gearing up for Christmas, but there is little cheer for Helen (McLynn) when she comes home from another night shift at Asda.

Husband Paul (McGann) greets her with silent indifference while stealing her breakfast, and it's hard to say what teenage daughter Kelly (Tamzin Dunstone) is less bothered about: hairdressing college or her baby ("the brat" as she lovingly refers to it).

The game of unhappy families escalates into a shouting contest when Kelly brings home college-mate Tasha (newcomer Chloe Sirene), a Czech refugee awaiting British citizenship.

Helen is genuinely interested in the newcomer, but die-hard bigot Paul makes her feel far from home. A Daily Mail reader, he blames all the ills of British society on the influx of immigrants.

The society he's fighting for, and that we're presented with, is one where people can eat their chips at the bus stop - or have nasty teenage thugs rub them in their faces in a dark alley.

Dunn develops the story in three interlinked segments, beginning with Helen's burgeoning friendship with Tasha. We learn that Tasha and her mum (Lenska) fled their homeland to escape abusive spouses.

Then we follow Paul, a carpet-fitter who is obviously struggling to make ends meet - but can still find the cash for a spot of kerb-crawling. Matters build to a tense climax, presented from Tasha’s point-of-view.

Gypo is heavy. The dialogue is heavily improvised (with varying degrees of effectiveness), the anti-prejudice message is heavy-handed and the grimness of life in provincial Britain - as depicted here - weighs heavy on the heart.

But interest is sustained with a handful of surprises and a nicely layered story. And while most points are hammered home, Dunn cleverly has Tasha arguing that she is a refugee, not an asylum seeker.

Do you know the difference?

Elliott Noble