As I passed through Henri Coanda Airport in Bucharest on Saturday I spotted two bluntly worded messages from the British government. Whatever our faults, Britain has long enjoyed a reputation for politeness and courtesy. Now it seems our government thinks nothing about being downright rude to others. I am ashamed.

By the check-in desks two brightly lit hoardings carry a message from HMRC, the tax department. These scream that it is not permissible to bring more than 200 cigarettes into Britain. I am horrified to find out this is the case. It seems Britain imposes special restrictions on import of cigerettes from almost every state that joined the EU since 2004. I had believed that a basic freedom of the EU was for citizens to travel between countries with whatever they need for the trip. Cigarettes cost 5 times as much in the U.K. as Romania, and I am sure the situation is similar in the other countries. A Romanian staying for a while almost certainly wants more than 200 cigarettes for their own use.

The second message is plastered up by every passport control desk. It informs Romanians in big letters that they cannot come to Britain to work. I'll spare you my views on the stupidity of that rule.

No other government has put up similar signs in the airport, despite the fact that most Romanians travel to Latin countries - Spain, Italy and Portugal, rather what they perceive as than cold, unfriendly, passion-free Northwest Europe.

I can see why these signs were considered necessary. I've spent long enough in Romania to know that there will be many Romanians trying to bend the rules. If we have made the rules, however stupid, they should be enforced. My point is that this is not an acceptable means of enforcement. If there are problems we should speak to the perpetrators, not treat whole countries like criminals.

These signs make us look arrogant, intolerant and self-obsessed - like a nation of Daily Mail readers. That constituency, thankfully, is still a minority. Let's make that clear to our fellow European citizens.