Protesters clash with police after hotel 'sacks 95 workers to house asylum seekers'

Police have clashed with protestors who surrounded a hotel in Wales accused of telling dozens of workers they will lose their jobs ahead of housing hundreds of asylum seekers.

The four-star Stradey Park Hotel in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, is reportedly making 95 of its staff redundant so the owners can allow the Home Office to use it to house up to 241 asylum seekers.

Protestors opposed to the plans surrounded the 76-room hotel with a view to blocking the conversion, and police were called to the scene on Sunday as the crowd grew.

Two people were arrested for allegedly preventing the movement of a vehicle that was blocking the hotel's entrance, and both were later released on bail.

Staff at the hotel were called to meetings last Tuesday and told they would be made redundant from 10 July, when the first asylum seekers are expected to arrive.

Llanelli MP, Dame Nia Griffith, branded the news "outrageous".

It is thought that 50 full-time and 45 part-time staff have been affected.

One worker, who asked not to be named, said: "We were called to a last minute meeting on Tuesday morning and were given the news that everyone would be made redundant with the last day being 10 July.

"It was some of the managers who have been made redundant themselves who had to deliver the news. There was just complete shock. Thankfully, we have had a lot of support locally but it just doesn't make sense."

Dame Griffith said it was a "shoddy way" to treat the hotel's existing staff. She said: "This is outrageous news and such a shoddy way to treat the hotel’s existing staff who have been kept in the dark all the way through this situation by the hotel’s owners.

"It is a disgraceful and degrading way to treat the workers."

She said the hotel owners, Sterling Woodrow, Clearsprings Ready Homes who organise asylum seeker accommodation in Wales, and the Home Office should "hang their heads in shame".

The redundancy news was branded as "callous and mercenary" by Robert Lloyd, spokesman for the Furnace Action Committee, which has been fighting to save jobs at the hotel.

The group objects to the plans on the grounds of health and safety, planning, and the impact on public services and the wider community.

“Over the last five weeks, since the plan was first made public, we have had lies, lies and more damn lies,” Lloyd said.

"The owners consistently said they had no contract in place with the Home Office and Clearsprings Ready Homes.

"For weeks they said it was business as usual. To dismiss staff without consultation is callous and mercenary."

Carmarthenshire Council leader Darren Price said last week that groups of up to 55 asylum seekers would start arriving at the hotel from 10 July.

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He said it was "disgraceful" for the Home Office to push on with its "unwise move" and that the proposed use of the hotel was "completely inappropriate".

He said the council was not opposed to supporting asylum seekers and refugees and that it had a good track record on this front with a dispersed model of accommodation. "We are keen to continue to accept our share of asylum seekers," he added.

Dyfed-Powys Police said in a statement on Sunday evening: "Officers have been at the scene of a protest at Stradey Park Hotel, today, following several incidents causing a disturbance at the site.

"They initially attended at around 8.40am at the request of security staff and remained to facilitate peaceful protest. Two people were arrested on suspicion of obstructing police following an incident whereby protestors prevented the recovery of a vehicle blocking the entrance to the property. They have been released on police bail."

A Home Office spokesman said previously: “The number of people arriving in the UK who require accommodation has reached record levels and has put our asylum system under incredible strain. We have been clear that the use of hotels to house asylum seekers is unacceptable – there are currently more than 51,000 asylum seekers in hotels costing the UK taxpayer £6 million a day.

"We engage with local authorities as early as possible whenever sites are used for asylum accommodation and work to ensure arrangements are safe for hotel residents and local people.

"We are working closely to listen to the local communities’ views and reduce the impact of sites, including through providing on-site security and financial support."