Fury in UK village as migrants move into £500,000 cottage near primary school

Terrified residents in a leafy English village have raged at Labour and the Home Office after they "secretly" moved migrants into a £500,000 cottage - before one was arrested for allegedly harassing schoolgirls. Residents and councillors in quiet Laleham, Surrey, said they knew nothing about plans to place asylum seekers, some from Afghanistan, just 200 yards from the local primary school.

And the villagers' fears were justified after an Afghan asylum seeker in his 20s was arrested outside the House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) for allegedly harassing schoolgirls in the area. Police reportedly told the migrant to stay away from the school, but they later held him on suspicion of harassment after he returned to the grounds. He's now been transferred to a secure facility under the Mental Health Act.

Moving migrants into HMOs across the country is part of Labour's push to end the use of hotels to house asylum seekers, which Home Office minister Alex Norris said had "spiralled out of control"-a move critics have dubbed "Operation Scatter."

One Laleham parent told The Sun: "It's mind-boggling. I just don't understand why you would put asylum seekers in the middle of a tiny village where there's nothing to do and nowhere to go.

"The first duty of a Government is to keep people safe, but we don't feel this was a safe thing to do."

The small Surrey village is home to around 2,500 residents and lies around five miles away from Heathrow Airport.

The riverside village of Laleham, mentioned in the Domesday Book, boasts two pubs, a quaint tea room, a bowling green and a traditional Morris dance group.

The HMO, a terraced cottage, was converted earlier this year by builders after it was snapped up by a property developer for £501,000 last October.

The house was built in the 1920s and used as a family home for almost 100 years. It is thought to have been rented to a Home Office contractor tasked with finding "dispersal accommodation".

A neighbour said: "We knew the house had been sold and we had our suspicions it was going to be an HMO. We know that they have to be housed somewhere, but there's no chance they can integrate into this community."

The Afghan national is said to have been spotted hanging around the school during drop-off and pick-up times over a number of days, according to concerned parents.

Long-time resident Terry Hunt, 80, said: "It's the wrong place to put asylum seekers. As a taxpayer, I think whoever makes these rules is not looking at the paperwork, or not looking at the situation.

"A lot of people have spent a lot of money on this village to live here. To suddenly say we've got asylum seekers to move in, and we'll put them in the empty house - that's not on."

William Wood, 40, has a boy and a girl at the school. He said: "It's not an appropriate place for the HMO. Some of the parents went and spoke to the guy and asked what he was doing.

"It makes you think you need to be present at pick-ups, drop-offs, that sort of stuff. It's a cause for concern. There have been lots of letters sent, but they all seem to go unanswered."

Other parents told how they have begun driving their children to school instead of allowing them to walk - even if they only live a few hundred yards away.

Police have been seen driving past the school every morning and afternoon since last week's incident to ease fears.

The issue was raised during PMQs this week, when Tory MP for Spelthorne, Lincoln Jopp, asked the Prime Minister: "Who was responsible for the risk assessment that put him there? Who screwed up, and who can I hold accountable?"

Sir Keir Starmer responded: "Obviously, this is a live police investigation, and I know the Asylum Minister is looking very closely at this case.

"Can I reassure him that all accommodation must meet contractual standards and the Home Office works with the police to manage all sites safely.

"Local authorities are consulted prior to any accommodation being procured and can object to any proposal."

Mr Jopp also penned a letter to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, outlining the concerns of Laleham residents about the safety of their children in the community.

He wrote: "I would be grateful if you would investigate this as a matter of urgency and also confirm that proper safeguarding checks have been made on all HMOs used by the Home Office in Spelthorne.

"I would also add that no such placements should be made within the vicinity of schools."

Last week, the Government announced it had closed 11 asylum hotels and sent many claimants to live in army barracks and HMOs instead.

Spelthorne Borough Council said: "Alongside the police, protecting our children remains our highest priority."

But, in a public message, the local authority added: "It would appear that this has happened without the normal risk assessment and communication from the Home Office to the local agencies.

"The council has written directly to the Home Office asking for an explanation and an assurance that this will not happen again."

And local councillor Sinead Mooney said: "It came as a bolt out of the blue to the elected members of the council.

"We feel this is a really unsuitable location and we've asked what mechanisms there are for local councillors and MPs to raise concerns where a location is identified which is plainly unsuitable.

"It's all come out through parents raising questions about activities outside the school."

Yet a Home Office spokesman insisted: "Spelthorne Council was consulted before this accommodation was procured.

"We urge anyone who witnesses unacceptable behaviour to report it to the police as soon as possible, and we remain in close contact with Surrey Police on this incident.

"Illegal migrants are being moved into basic accommodation, as the Government scales up the use of military barracks."

Surrey Police confirmed: "A man in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of harassment last Thursday.

"Following further assessment, the man, who is an Afghan national, was detained under the Mental Health Act and is currently awaiting further treatment and assessment at a secure facility."