ASYLUM SEEKERS REMOVED FROM EPPING HOTEL OVER FIRE SAFETY CONCERNS

All asylum seekers housed at The Bell Hotel in Epping have been removed from the site. The Home Office confirmed the removal was carried out as a precautionary measure due to fire safety concerns. A government spokesperson stated that the Home Office takes the safety of service users and staff extremely seriously. Only security personnel now remain at the property.

The Bell Hotel was the site of repeated protests last summer after one of its residents was charged and later convicted of sexually assaulting a child. Epping Forest District Council said it had not been informed in advance that the removal would take place. A council spokesperson confirmed the authority is seeking clarification from the Home Office on what happened and what its next steps will be. The Home Office declined to comment further on The Bell Hotel specifically, but stated it was removing incentives drawing irregular migrants to Britain.

According to the Home Office, it is closing every asylum hotel and moving asylum seekers into basic accommodation, including former military sites. The Home Office recorded figures suggesting the number of asylum seekers housed in hotels has fallen by 35 per cent over the past year and by 63 per cent from the peak recorded under the previous government. Epping Forest District Council said it remains in contact with the Home Office and is awaiting further detail on the situation.