New arrests as Llanelli asylum seeker hotel deemed unsafe

The Stradey Park Hotel in Furnace is shut by order of the fire service

A hotel set to house 240 asylum seekers is too unsafe to stay at, fire inspectors have said.

It comes as the number of recent arrests related to the Stradey Park Hotel near Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, rose to 12 after a stairwell fire at the weekend and days of disorder.

Six new arrests were revealed just after Mid and West Wales Fire Service issued the banning order over safety.

It said the notice will remain in place unless there is a "formal appeal".

The Home Office said: "We are aware that Stradey Park has been issued with a prohibition notice and are working with the owners on the next steps.

"We are working hard to reduce the unacceptable use of hotels by moving asylum seekers into alternative, cheaper accommodation, doubling them up in hotel rooms, and clearing the legacy backlog."

Renovations will be allowed to continue.

The hotel, in Furnace, was inspected because of "a change of use", the fire service said.

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The hotel owner, Gryphon Leisure, was then notified of a prohibition that "prevents the premises from being used for sleeping accommodation".

Stradey Park Hotel in Llanelli is earmarked by the Home Office to house asylum seekers

"This is mainly due to insufficient fire separation between certain areas of the ground floor," the fire service added, "as well as insufficient means of detecting and giving warning of a fire."

The notice also said nobody can use any part of the building, except to "carry out remedial works".

Spokesman for Furnace Action Committee - which is campaigning for plans to be scrapped - Robert Lloyd said: "The end game here is we want this plan put aside and stopped.

"Our argument is with the owners of the hotel and Clear Springs - they're trying to carry on with a plan that is totally unworkable."

He added "the large majority" of protestors are peaceful.

BBC Wales has also asked Carmarthenshire council for comment.

Clearsprings Ready Homes, which has a contract to provide the accommodation, said: "We would not comment on your inquiry; please refer to the Home Office press office for any input they may have."

Protestors set up a camp near the hotel's entrance

Llanelli MP Dame Nia Griffith called the fire inspection report "damning".

"The Stradey Park Hotel is nowhere near being fit for use as accommodation, and is yet another very strong reason, in addition to the access issues," she said, "why the Home Office should drop all plans to use it for asylum seekers."

Her Labour colleague, Member of the Senedd Lee Waters, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that police were "finding it very challenging to keep (the) site secure".

'Heavy police presence'

Mr Waters added that he and Dame Nia had "said all along this is the wrong place and the wrong plan" and he urged Home Secretary Suella Braverman to rethink and stop "wasting" money.

There were six arrests at the weekend after fireworks and other missiles were launched towards officers, police said.

Emergency services had to put out one fire in a hotel stairwell and a vehicle fire in the car park.

Dyfed-Powys Police said unrest had continued, with "a heavy police presence" at the site.

Six men, between the ages of 31 and 65, were arrested on charges that include possessing a weapon, aggravated trespassing and criminal damage.

Supt Ross Evans called on demonstrators "to resume peaceful protest" at the site.

"The behaviour of some individuals has gone far beyond what we would expect from a lawful protest over the past week or so," he said.

"We will not tolerate unlawful behaviour. Where an offence is committed, we will take all reasonable and proportionate steps to bring offenders to justice."