Third Torbay hotel prepared for migrants - council

Torbay Council told the BBC that it had "received confirmation from Clearsprings Ready Homes that due diligence on a third hotel has been completed"

A third hotel has been prepared to accommodate migrants in part of south Devon, a council has confirmed.

Torbay Council said it was told on Tuesday morning another hotel had been made ready for housing migrants.

But the council added the Home Office had decided to pause its final decision about the use of the latest hotel.

It recently threatened the government with legal action to prevent hotels being used in such ways because of the possible impact on local services.

Judicial review

Torbay Council told the BBC that it had "received confirmation from Clearsprings Ready Homes that due diligence on a third hotel has been completed".

It added that it was not aware of any other hotels being similarly prepared for providing such accommodation.

The council said it would not apply for an interim injunction against the use of hotels to accommodate migrants, but it was issuing instructions "to seek a judicial review of the actions of the Home Office".

It said the judicial review was being sought because it "had a legitimate expectation from the Home Office that no further hotels would be used in the Torbay area".

It also said its children's services department was under extreme pressure as a number of migrants in the hotels currently being used were believed to be under 18.

The Home Office said there was "no alternative" to using hotels.

It is also temporarily housing migrants in a hotel in Newquay and in Ilfracombe.