Clarification after removal of asylum seekers from Skegness hotels

In written evidence provided to the Standard, it is believed 117 asylum seekers arrived at three hotels - the Chatsworth, Sun and Leisure - last weekend after the guests staying in rooms 'were asked to leave'.

One enraged guest who quickly left a review on booking.com, calling the hotel 'Faulty Towers', said: "We arrived on Friday teatime and were given our key and told how to enter and exit the hotel.

"On Saturday morning at 00.34 I was sent a message to tell us we had to vacate the hotel as the council was shutting it down. I have never seen such an appalling place and it ruined our relaxing weekend."

Members of the public took to social media to ask for clarification about the visitors from the MP from Boston and Skegness Matt Warman.

One of them, who prefers to be anonymous, said: "Two questions need to be asked - have they been vaccinated and should they have been in isolation?"

However, the visit was short-lived after the hotels failed to produce necessary fire safety certificates required by the Home Office, according to Mr Warman.

MP for Boston and Skegness Matt Warman came under attack when he said "the Home Office has confirmed that all the people involved have now been relocated away from Skegness" when members of the public alleged they had seen groups around town.

The need for further clarification followed two alleged incidents in which police were called to incidents at the railway station and bus station involving groups of men, claimed to be from Afghanistan.

A spokesman for Lincolnshire Police said: "We’ve heard back from the local team and we can confirm that all the asylum seekers in the three Skegness hotels have all left the county, although we’re not aware of any issues at the local bus or train station."

Mr Warman confirmed to the Standard the visitors were not families being relocated in Lincolnshire as part of Operation Warm Welcome but most likely asylum seekers, although it was not known where they came from.

Following talks with the Home Office, he said: "The people who came have a right to privacy and rumours on social media are not very helpful.

"That being said the fact that they left is not great either.

"The Home Office contacted the hotels but they did not have the fire safety certificates that were required for the number of visitors allocated to them and the asylum seekers were removed.

"We want to make sure for anyone coming to Skegness it's as safe and welcoming as possible.

"The load is being spread across the country and if anything extra is needed it will be covered by central government and not at the expense of local people."