Wethersfield: Firefighters attend incident at migrant airbase

Some signs protesting the use of Wethersfield to house migrants were outside the base on Wednesday morning

Firefighters were called to an incident involving a fire suppression system in a building at a former airbase being used to house asylum seekers.

Essex Fire and Rescue said it was called to MDP Wethersfield, near Finchingfield, at about 13:20 BST.

A spokeswoman said: "Pressure in a fire suppression system had built up and created a small hole in the roof of a disused building."

No-one was injured and the crews made the scene safe, she added.

Three crews attended the site, which is earmarked to house 1,700 asylum seekers by the autumn as part of government plans to reduce the money spent on hotels.

• Priti Patel says asylum housing plan fails locals

• Tuberculosis cases at asylum seeker airbase site

• First migrants moved on to former airbase

The first asylum seekers arrived in July.

The fire service spokeswoman said no-one had to be evacuated from the site while crews made the scene safe.

Staff from its urban search and rescue team were also in attendance but not needed.

A Home Office spokesman said: "No-one was injured and we are now assessing the damage to the roof."

The disused building was about 400m (1,312ft) away from where asylum seekers and staff are based.

West Lindsey District Council, Braintree District Council and a local resident have been given permission to bring a judicial review contesting the use of Wethersfield and RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire.