Man charged following asylum hotel protest in Leicestershire village

A man has been charged following a protest that took place in Leicestershire over plans to use a hotel to home asylum seekers.

Leicestershire Police say the 53-year-old man was arrested and has since been charged with wilfully obstructing a highway with a non-motor vehicle.

He is due to appear in court on 15 March.

The protest took place on Monday evening, with hundreds of locals gathering to oppose the plans to home up to 250 asylum seekers at the The Best Western Yew Lodge Hotel in Kegworth.

They say the move has resulted in people feeling unsafe in their homes, job losses and events such as weddings being cancelled last minute.

"We're too small a village to have that many people. I don't think the village has got anything to offer them, what have they got to do all day but wander around?" said one protester.

Another said: "I've been a member of the gym for the last six years and I know quite a few people who work there who've just lost their jobs with five days notice."

Another woman added: "This village is not equipped to deal with such an influx of people, we are a small village."

The hotel owner, however, says he is confident that the hotel can be run in a way that won't put extra pressure on residents or put anyone in danger.

A smaller counter-protest group also gathered in the village, saying refugees and asylum seekers should be treated better and not homed in hotels such as the one in Kegworth.

'It doesn't need to happen like this'

"It's ridiculous, it doesn't need to happen like this. We haven't done it with Ukrainians, we haven't done it with the people from Hong Kong," said Steve Cooke, a volunteer from Derbyshire Refugee Solidarity.

The Refugee Council agrees that using hotels is not the solution.

"It's important to remember who these men, women and children are. From places like Afghanistan, where the Taliban are seeking to hound, beat and kill people. Places like Syria, where there's a very serious civil war," said CEO Enver Soloman.

"The principle we've always upheld in this country is to give people a fair hearing if they come here seeking sanctuary, seeking safety," he said, "the government should be doing a far better job at making quicker decisions so we don't have to use hotels."

A Home Office spokesperson told ITV News Central: “The number of people arriving in the UK who require accommodation has reached record levels and has put our asylum system under incredible strain."

“We engage with local authorities as early as possible whenever sites are used for asylum accommodation and work to ensure arrangements are safe for hotel residents and local people.”

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...