Asylum seeker shares pictures of 'disastrous' conditions of Liverpool accommodation

Video provided to the Liverpool Echo shows water leaking into the hotel reception.

An asylum seeker who is staying in a hotel in Liverpool has shared pictures of the food and conditions including a leak in the reception area.The man who fled Yemen has described two meals he was given - including vegetables, 'unidentifiable' meat, a bruised apple, and portions of pasta - as "disastrous." He also claimed asylum seekers had been put up in cold, leaking and overcrowded rooms in two hotels in the city.

Serco, the company contracted by the Home Office to provide accommodation for asylum seekers, says the leak had followed a recent downpour and had been "rectified immediately."It also said staff had “a good relationship” with asylum seekers in the accommodation.A spokesperson for the company said the accommodation is in "very good condition" and that "rooms and property are clean and in good order."

But the man, who learned English while studying for a degree at a UK university, called the conditions “disastrous”.

He said: “It is cold in the rooms, really cold - and I cannot open the heaters. When I try, the electricity goes off."

“They [asylum seekers] have to eat it because they are hungry, but sometimes they throw some of it away. And then they don’t get enough money to buy food, so you have to be patient and wait until the next meal."

A Serco spokesperson said that staff at the hotels are "confident and competent and had a good relationship with the asylum seekers.”They added: “The accommodation is in very good condition. Rooms and property are clean and in good order."One of our senior managers regularly visits both hotels to ensure quality standards and has regular contact with supervisors. None of the issues raised with you have been observed or reported to her."There have been no incidents or complaints during the last month about food etc or incidents relating to issues with food."In response to his claims, a Home Office spokesperson said: “The wellbeing of asylum seekers is taken extremely seriously, and all necessary steps are taken to protect people in our care.

"All of our hotels must provide up to date health and safety reports before being booked.“Should any asylum seeker have any problems with their accommodation, they can contact Migrant Help, which is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to provide support.”