A HOTEL in Knowsley that saw violent disorder break out earlier this year is to be one of the first to see asylum seekers moved out under government plans, the immigration minister told the Commons.

A police van was set on fire and missiles were thrown at police officers after a demonstration on February 10, outside the Suites Hotel on Ribblers Lane, Knowsley Village, which was housing asylum seekers.

Numerous arrests and charges were made in relation to the disturbance.

Making a statement in the House of Commons today, Robert Jenrick said: “I can inform the House that today the Home Office wrote to local authorities and MPs to inform them that we will now be exiting the first asylum hotels. Hotels in all four nations of the UK.

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“The first 50 of these exits will begin in the coming days and will be complete by the end of January with more tranches to follow shortly but we will not stop there.

“We will continue to deliver on our strategy to stop the boats and we will be able to exit more hotels. And as we exit these hotels, we are putting in place dedicated resource to facilitate the orderly and effective management of this process and limit the impact on local communities.”

St Helens Star: The burned out police van pictured after the Knowsley disturbanceThe burned out police van pictured after the Knowsley disturbance (Image: PA)

Labour former minister Sir George Howarth, Knowsley MP, welcomed the ending of the use of hotels to house asylum seekers, and asked about the hotel being used in his constituency.

He added: “People need to tone down the rhetoric and stop peddling false narratives about what’s going on with refugees.”

Robert Jenrick said: “I did contact his office earlier today to notify him that the hotel that he is speaking about will be included in the first tranche of hotel closures.

“I think that incident that he experienced highlights why this is not an appropriate form of accommodation.”