Villagers oppose asylum centre plan

Other protests have already been held at Parliament

Some residents in an East Midlands village are forming an action group to fight any plans to house asylum seekers nearby.

The villagers at Caythorpe near Grantham in Lincolnshire are responding to possible plans to bring the asylum seekers to a former agricultural college.

The owners of Angel Group hope to use Caythorpe Court, which they recently bought, to provide short term accommodation for the new arrivals.

Archdeacon Brian Lucas of Caythorpe is appealing for calm after a public meeting resulted in an action group to oppose the plans being set up.

'We will consult'

The MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham, former agriculture minister Douglas Hogg, is pressing for more details from the developers.

He wants to know how many people would be housed there and how long they would stay.

Mr Hogg also wants to know what demands would be made on local services, such as schools and medical centres.

The directors of the Angel Group say the asylum seekers at Caythorpe Court would only be there for a few days at a time.

The company has not yet made a final decision on the future of the site and has promised to consult the people of Caythorpe.

A spokesperson for the company has also said the long term intention is to turn Caythorpe Court into private accommodation.