Housing asylum seekers would be like dropping a nuclear bomb on the community, a district councillor has claimed.

Tom Kelly, (Con, Maldon South) was expressing alarm felt by many councillors at the prospect of having to house up to 280 asylum seekers in the Maldon district in line with new Government guidelines.

The comments were made at a meeting of the community and leisure services of Maldon District Council yesterday.

In particular, Mr Kelly was considering the immediate effects of possibly having up to 40 Eastern European refugees at Mill House, in Langford, near Maldon.

Mr Kelly said: "What is it going to do to the community? It's going to be like a nuclear bomb for a start."

Roy Pipe (Ind Con, Maldon North West) supported Mr Kelly's stance. He said he felt strongly about the possible conflicts judging from what he had heard about refugees in other towns.

"We don't want a situation throughout the whole district where residents of the district are at war with these temporary residents but the the way they are going about it at the moment that is going to happen."

The majority of councillors were alarmed at the measures which recommend housing the refugees in reasonably large groups with facilities for language, health, education and legal advice rather than odd houses as they become available.

Councillors are contacting local MP John Whittingdale and the Home Secretary to voice concerns before the guidelines become law.

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