Protesters heckle councillors over sanctuary bid

Dozens of protesters concerned about immigration attended Cumberland Council's executive meeting

Anti-immigration protesters heckled councillors over a bid to give an area "sanctuary" status, during a tense public meeting.

About 50 people were in the public gallery, most objecting to Cumberland Council's decision to apply to be a "council of sanctuary".

The council said it meant creating a welcoming environment for people in need of refuge, including asylum seekers, victims of domestic abuse and others.

Opponents raised fears this would lead to a rise in immigration and greater costs for council tax payers, though the council denied this would happen.

People in the public gallery at Carlisle Civic Centre heckled councillors several times when they discussed the sanctuary proposal, one shouting "traitors" and another saying they had been "gagged".

Protesters asked if they could speak, but the council said they had not submitted a question in advance so could not participate, in line with council rules.

An objector, who declined to give her name, told BBC Cumbria she was worried the council's policy would lead to more immigration.

"How much money's going to be involved with this? Where are they getting the money from to fund it?" she said.

'Low immigration'

Cumbria Action, a group which said it wants to "unite our community" is opposed to the sanctuary proposal and some of its members attended the meeting.

The group said other places that had "welcomed refugees and migrants en masse" had seen "law and order issues and further strain on already ruined infrastructure".

The council's Labour deputy leader Lisa Hinton said sanctuary status would mean a commitment to being "inclusive" but would not lead to the council providing extra services or incurring more costs.

On immigration, she said: "It is nothing to do with the numbers that come in, that is decided by the Home Office.

"Our numbers are relatively low," she added.

Councillor Lisa Hinton said becoming a council of sanctuary would not lead to extra costs for council tax payers

Adrienne Gill, from Cumberland Sanctuary Network, said she was one of five people in the public gallery supporting the council's policy.

She said asylum seekers in the area "just want to get on with their lives" and were not the cause of concerns around public services such as housing and healthcare.

Her group is affiliated to the national charity City of Sanctuary UK, which will decide on the council's application.