Lincolnshire Police given extra cash to police RAF asylum centre

The £3.8m grant will pay for the recruitment of additional officers and improving crime prevention

Lincolnshire Police has been given extra government money ahead of the arrival of asylum seekers at the former RAF Scampton base.

The force will receive £1.8m to allow extra officers to be recruited.

An additional £2m will be used towards developing digital technology and improving crime prevention measures.

The county's Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones said he was grateful to the government and local MPs who had lobbied for the funding.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) Mr Jones said: "The financial support offered means the Chief Constable can recruit front-line officers for Lincolnshire and continue in keeping our communities feeling and being safe.

"We are acutely aware of the heightened concerns of residents in and around the Scampton area and this funding will allow the Chief Constable to support those communities."

The former RAF Scampton site near Lincoln could house up to 2,000 asylum seekers

However, Mr Jones cautioned that the force is not immune from cost pressures and tough financial decisions.

The Home Office plans to convert the ex-RAF site near Lincoln into an accommodation centre for up to 2,000 asylum seekers.

A first group of 200 are understood to be arriving at the base in mid-August.

The decision has caused controversy with protest meetings against the plan and an unsuccessful bid by West Lindsey District Council for an injunction against the scheme.

Lincolnshire Police's Chief Constable Chris Haward said he was pleased at the additional funding.

"I am very pleased that we will be able to continue with our plans for the recruitment of police officers, that we can prepare for any impact of the asylum-seeker accommodation at Scampton, whilst also investing in transformation that will be designed to support front line delivery," he said.