Council to debate asylum hotel injunction attempts

The motion will be debated at Northampton's Guildhall on 16 September

The prospect of blocking asylum seekers from staying at three hotels in west Northamptonshire is due to be discussed at an emergency council meeting.

The Reform UK-controlled council said it would meet at Northampton's Guildhall at 17:00 BST on 16 September.

They will discuss a motion put forward by Conservative Daniel Lister in a bid to prevent the hotels use as "asylum seeker centres".

West Northamptonshire Council has already said it is "actively looking at the options" after a High Court judge decided asylum seekers should be evicted from a hotel in Essex.

Lister's motion calls on the authority "to instruct, without delay, suitably qualified legal counsel to represent West Northamptonshire Council in seeking an interim injunction".

The request for the meeting was accepted by the council's monitoring officer and was supported by five other councillors.

The council has said it has "strong evidence similar to that presented in the Epping Forest case to ensure the chances of its success in future legal action, and given the potential significant cost to taxpayers".

The owner of The Bell Hotel in Epping, and the Home Office, are challenging the injunction decision in the Court of Appeal.

Mr Justice Eyre had ordered all 138 asylum seekers must be removed from the hotel by 16:00 BST on 12 September.