'I'll show him round myself!' Piddington residents demand action from Andy Burnham as over 1,000 migrants earmarked for leafy village

Residents in the leafy village of Piddington have demanded action from Prime Minister Andy Burnham over plans to move more than 1,000 illegal migrants into their community.

Speaking to GB News presenter Ben Leo, residents expressed concern for their safety and the safety of their children, as the planned site backs onto a popular playing field.

The Government has earmarked MoD Bicester in Oxfordshire to accommodate roughly 1,250 single male asylum seekers, aiming to replace the use of local hotels.

An initial 270 people are expected to be moved into the former military site by the end of the year.

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Joining Ben outside the proposed site, resident Ian Darby argued that the buildings on the site have been abandoned for around two decades and will need full repair before the migrants are moved in.

He explained: "This is not army barracks that is ready for refurbishment for accommodation, this is a munitions site. As far as I'm aware, it hasn't had anybody here for over 20 years.

"I suspect they'll have to knock the whole thing down, it's just a very large piece of land ultimately.

"But I don't think any of the infrastructure, sewage, electricity, water works, all of that is going to have to be put in."

Mr Darby stressed that the potential cost of making the site liveable will be in the "tens of millions".

He said: "Their pitch nationally is that moving people out of hotels is is going to save a lot of money.

"Our view is this is going to cost tens and tens and tens of millions to create something sustainable and workable for the asylum seekers."

Speaking to another resident, mother Elizabeth Smith expressed concern for the safety of herself and her children, telling GB News that she "no longer feels safe" where she lives.

She said: "For me, it's all about risk. I want to be able to take my children to the park, and it's worrying, really, to think that this is their life, this is where they're going to be growing up.

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"It just doesn't feel safe anymore, I'm not sleeping very well at night now, and I'm really quite concerned."

Exploring the local playing field, Ben met a third resident who demanded Andy Burnham to take action and visit the village, where he would "personally show him around" to show how unsuitable the location is.

Mario Terzino told GB News: "I've got an 18-year-old daughter. I'm happy at the moment, in the evening she likes to walk the dog, so I'm happy for her to come and take the dog.

"If this goes ahead, I won't be happy doing that."

He called on the Prime Minister to visit Piddington and "let him make his mind up" on whether asylum seekers should be housed there.

Mr Terzino said: "I would like Andy Burnham to come down and talk to the village and actually have a look around the village and actually have a look around the site and see what's there and let him make his mind up.

"Sat behind a desk is not giving him a real true picture of what's going on here, and I will show him around personally."

In a statement, a Home Office spokesman said: "We are closing every asylum hotel and moving asylum seekers into basic accommodation including ex-military sites. This is an important step in ending the perception you can arrive illegally and be put up in a hotel.

"The population of asylum seekers in hotels has fallen by 35 per cent in the last year and by 63 per cent from the peak under the previous government.

"Overall asylum costs have already fallen by nearly £1billion since this government was elected."

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