Serious offence asylum seeker suspect missing, says Buckingham MP

Buckingham MP Greg Smith raised his concerns in the Commons

An asylum seeker "under investigation for a very serious offence" is on the run after being transferred to a hotel, an MP has said.

The suspect went missing after being escorted up to, but not into, the accommodation, the Buckingham MP Greg Smith told the Commons.

Home Office minister Robert Jenrick described this as "concerning" and said he would look into the case.

The Home Office said it cannot detain people who are on bail.

Home Office minister Robert Jenrick said he would look into the case

Conservative Mr Smith said: "Buckinghamshire Council learned third-hand from a London borough just this morning that an asylum seeker who is under investigation for a very serious offence was transferred to the asylum hotel in Buckingham... but was not escorted into the premises and has since gone missing."

He also asked the government to make sure "that everything possible is being done to apprehend that individual and ensure that until that investigation is completed they are in secured accommodation."

Mr Jenrick said he would get back to Mr Smith once he had contacted the Home Office and police.

He also added that small towns and rural areas may be asked to house more people crossing the Channel "as long as numbers are so high".

Martin Tett, leader of Buckinghamshire Council said: "We have written to the Home Office to raise concerns about a recent incident and are awaiting their response."

A Home Office spokeswoman said it could not comment on individual cases.

If anyone claiming asylum commits a criminal offence, their "bail conditions would be set by the police", she said in a statement.

Their movements would be dependent on those conditions.

"The Home Office does not have powers to detain individuals solely because they are on police bail," she said.

"If an asylum seeker absconds before a decision is made on their asylum claim, or if they fail to comply with our processes, we have a dedicated national absconder tracing team to track them down and bring them back into contact with the Home Office and their claim may be withdrawn.

"Full security checks are carried out before anyone enters the asylum system", she added.