The Home Office has moved 70 people away from an asylum accommodation site after it failed to complete necessary safety checks on time.

Asylum seekers were first moved onto the RAF Wethersfield site - a former airfield in Essex - in July.

The Home Office originally had permission to use the site as asylum accommodation until April 2024, but a special development order (SDO) made last month extended its use by three years, subject to conditions including ensuring there was an adequate supply of drinking water and obtaining a contamination report.

Although the SDO came into force last week, some conditions have not been met, meaning the Home Office does not have permission to house more than 580 asylum seekers at the site.

The Home Office has moved 70 people away and into hotels, while others remain.

A Home Office spokesperson said: ‘Wethersfield is safe for asylum seekers, and we are working at pace to ensure we abide by the conditions in the SDO.'

Braintree DC has legally challenged the Home Office's use of the site on several occasions.