5 held in asylum mayhem

FIVE men were arrested after an immigration detention centre was set on fire in a riot.

An accommodation block was trashed and then torched, said the Home Office.

Home Secretary Priti Patel blasted the violence last night.

She said: “The damage and destruction at the barracks is not only appalling but deeply offensive to taxpayers who are providing this accommodation while asylum claims are being processed.

“The Home Office will support the police in taking robust action.”

Officials claimed asylum seekers had “become aggressive” on Friday when asked to move from the site after a Covid outbreak.

They said 120 detainees at Napier Barracks in Folkestone, Kent, had tested positive and around 100 had to be moved to local hotels.

No serious injuries were reported, despite one arrest on suspicion of assault.