Government plans to ship asylum seekers to a tiny English town have left locals furious after they found the new residents would take up eight homes.
Millom, a sleepy town on the coast of Cumbria, is home to just 5,694 people and will soon receive 40 more.
The Government has proceeded with plans to move migrants into the community as it scales back its hotel policy – and eight homes have been set aside to house them.
Locals and their representatives have railed against the plans, on which Mayor Simone Faulkner has claimed she was not consulted.
Opposition has grown so strong that police have been forced to increase their patrols after vile graffiti was found scrawled on buildings.
Following news that migrants would be moving to the community, graffiti reading “not welcome scum” was found on one terraced home.
Local authorities have condemned the criminal behaviour but warned that tensions are high in Millom.
Residents have claimed there is not enough room in the town for the incoming asylum seekers, with one telling GB News there isn’t even space “for the people who are already here”.
Another said they didn’t “agree with it” and alleged that nobody was warned about the move, something a local leader has also claimed.
Town mayor Simone Faulkner said she was not consulted “by anybody” and didn’t know it would happen until workers turned up and “started working on the properties”.
She added that the alleged lack of notice had caused “high tension” among residents and that the town’s infrastructure and transport is “poor”.
A Home Office spokesperson said the department has worked “closely with local authorities” and that the asylum seekers required “safe and secure housing”.
They said: “We condemn any vandalism in the strongest possible terms.
“We have always been upfront about the unprecedented pressure being put on our asylum system, brought about by a significant increase in dangerous and illegal journeys into the country over recent years.
“The Home Office has a duty to provide safe and secure housing for asylum seekers and we are continuing to work closely with local authorities in Millom, to manage any impact in the area and address the local communities concerns.”
