‘We weren’t told’: Villagers blast secret migrant housing near primary school

The villagers are in conflict with the Home Office for "secretly" moving migrants into a £500,000 cottage—one of whom was arrested for allegedly harassing schoolgirls.

Residents and councillors claim they were unaware of plans to place asylum seekers 200 yards from the local primary school.

The move in Laleham, Surrey, is part of a Government drive to take migrants out of hotels.

Developers in England do not need planning permission to convert a home into a small house of multiple occupation — or HMO — for up to six unrelated individuals.

The legal quirk means hundreds or even thousands of properties across the country could be switched without proper oversight.

One parent, who declined to be named, told The Sun: “It’s mind-boggling. I just don’t understand why you would put asylum seekers in the middle of a tiny village where there’s nothing to do and nowhere to go.

“The first duty of a government is to keep people safe, but we don’t feel this was a safe thing to do.”

Many in Laleham, with a population of 2,500, did not realise what was happening until an Afghan national in his early 20s was handcuffed at the HMO’s gates.

He was held on suspicion of harassment after allegedly returning to the school despite being told to stay away by police.

He is now being held at a secure facility under the Mental Health Act.

Parents claim the suspect was seen loitering near the school at busy drop-off and pick-up times for several days.

He is also said to have shouted at women walking alone.

Yesterday, local Spelthorne Tory MP Lincoln Jopp asked Sir Keir Starmer at PM’s Questions: “Who was responsible for the risk assessment that put him there?

“Who screwed up, and who can I hold accountable?”

Sir Keir said: “Obviously, this is a live police investigation, and I know the Asylum Minister is looking very closely at this case.

“Can I reassure him that all accommodation must meet contractual standards and the Home Office works with the police to manage all sites safely. Local authorities are consulted prior to any accommodation being procured and can object to any proposal.”

However, in a public message, Spelthorne Borough Council told worried residents: “It would appear that this has happened without the normal risk assessment and communication from the Home Office to the local agencies.

“The council has written directly to the Home Office asking for an explanation and an assurance that this will not happen again.”

And local councillor Sinead Mooney said: “It came as a bolt out of the blue to the elected members of the council.

“We feel this is a really unsuitable location and we’ve asked what mechanisms there are for local councillors and MPs to raise concerns where a location is identified which is plainly unsuitable.

“It’s all come out through parents raising questions about activities outside the school.”

Despite the Home Office disputing the secrecy claim, council sources insisted they have no record of any communication from the Government.

In a letter to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and shared with residents, Mr Jopp wrote: “As you can imagine, my constituents are understandably very concerned about the safety of their children and, indeed, their own safety.

“I would be grateful if you would investigate this as a matter of urgency and also confirm that the proper safeguarding checks have been made on all HMOs used by the Home Office in Spelthorne.

“I would also add that no such placements should be made within the vicinity of schools.”

The riverside village of Laleham, mentioned in the Domesday Book, seems an unlikely location for a migrant crisis.

It boasts two pubs, a quaint tea room, a bowling green and a traditional morris dance group.

Data from OnTheMarket shows the average price paid for a house is £636,000.

The HMO, a terraced cottage, was converted earlier this year by builders after it was snapped up by a property developer for £501,000 last October.

Records show the house was built in the 1920s and used as a family home for almost 100 years. It is thought to have been rented to a Home Office contractor tasked with finding “dispersal accommodation”.

A neighbour on the same street said: “We knew the house had been sold and we had our suspicions it was going to be an HMO.

“There was work being done on it earlier this year, and they took the chimney down, and then suddenly there were new residents in there.

“I think it’s a hugely inappropriate place for an HMO. I don’t think any research has been done into this area.

“We know that they have to be housed somewhere, but there’s no chance they can integrate into this community, especially when tensions are already high.”

Another local said: “There are quite a few older people here, and they’re frightened too.”

Long-time resident Terry Hunt, 80, said: “It’s the wrong place to put asylum seekers.

“As a taxpayer, I think that whoever makes these rules is not looking at the paperwork, or not looking at the situation.

“A lot of people have spent a lot of money on this village to live here. To suddenly say we’ve got asylum seekers to move in, and we’ll put them in the empty house — that’s not on.”

William Wood, 40, has a boy and a girl at the school.

He said: “It’s not an appropriate place for the HMO.

“Some of the parents went and spoke to the guy and asked what he was doing.

“It makes you think you need to be present at pick-ups, drop-offs, that sort of stuff. It’s a cause for concern.

“There have been lots of letters sent, but they all seem to go unanswered.”

Other parents told how they have begun driving their children to school instead of allowing them to walk — even if they only live a few hundred yards away.

Police have been seen driving past the school every morning and afternoon since Thursday’s incident to ease fears.

Home Office ministers are attempting to reduce the number of asylum hotels in use by moving migrants into cheaper HMOs rented from the private market.

Last week, the Government said it had closed 11 asylum hotels and sent many claimants to live in army barracks and HMOs instead.

Last night, a Home Office spokesman insisted: “Spelthorne Council was consulted before this accommodation was procured.

“We urge anyone who witnesses unacceptable behaviour to report it to the police as soon as possible, and we remain in close contact with Surrey Police on this incident.

“Illegal migrants are being moved into basic accommodation, as the Government scales up the use of military barracks.”

Spelthorne council said: “Alongside the police, protecting our children remains our highest priority.”