Torbay Council's legal action over asylum seeker hotels

Torbay Council has started legal action against the Home Office

A local authority has started legal action against the government over the use of hotels to house asylum seekers.

Two hotels are being used to accommodate migrants in the Torbay area of south Devon.

Torbay Council said the action taken by the Home Office was resulting in increased pressure on services.

The Home Office said there were "unprecedented pressures" on the asylum system and hotels offered "safe, secure and clean accommodation".

'Significant impact'

Torbay Council said it had "a legitimate expectation from the Home Office that no further hotels would be used in the Torbay area".

It said the Home Office "failed to consider the planning position", particularly as the unnamed hotels are in a "Core Tourism Investment Area".

The council also said the Home Office had "failed to consider the significant impact on children's services caused by the use of the existing hotel for accommodating asylum seekers".

Council leader Steve Darling previously said more than 20 asylum seekers initially assessed as adults by the Home Office were now claiming to be children.

The council said it would not comment further on the legal case.

The council said there had been a significant impact on children's services

A Home Office spokesperson said: "The number of people arriving in the UK who seek asylum and require accommodation has reached record levels, placing unprecedented pressures on the asylum system."

It said accommodation sites were identified "based on whether they are safe and available".

The spokesperson said: "While we accept that hotels do not provide a long-term solution, they do offer safe, secure and clean accommodation, and we are working hard with local authorities to find appropriate accommodation during this challenging time."