A CARLISLE hotel is set to host 'families seeking refuge', it is understood, after a weekend of unverified online rumours that one councillor labelled 'appalling'.

The Cumbria Park Hotel in Stanwix said in a social media post that it will cease operating as a hotel for the general public and begin hosting families seeking refuge from Friday, November 11.

A statement from the Cumbria Park Hotel said: "Any future bookings that you have with the hotel will be fully refunded and we will be in touch with everyone over the coming days.

"Please bear in mind the Cumbria Park is independently privately owned and every single person employed in the hotel are only employees."

Elizabeth Mallinson, councillor for the Stanwix ward said: "John Stevenson had a meeting with the Home Office civil servants and a minister and was given assurance that the asylum seekers would not be men.

"We are still waiting for written confirmation but the Home Office have listened to our concerns about single young men."

It is understood that the Home Office will publish written information on the housing of asylum seekers in the coming days.

Mrs Mallinson said: "I am looking forward to receiving this because the gossip and misinformation that is going around Carlisle at the moment is appalling.

"The gossip mill has caused a lot of upset to the parents and residents north of the river and nobody up until today was in a position to know the facts as they had not been released and as yet still have not been confirmed."

'There are legitimate concerns about the level of immigration'

John Stevenson, MP for Carlisle, said he has spoken with Home Office officials to express concern about proposals for a new location in Carlisle to be used to house asylum seekers and to see what can be done to mitigate the impact on the local community.

John Stevenson said:“I have spoken with the Home Office about the potential use of a new site in Carlisle to house asylum seekers. I have been assured by Home Office officials that the site will house single female adults only.

"I am in continuing dialogue with the Home Office to seek reassurances that where we have hotels being used in places like Carlisle, applications are being processed in a timely manner to ensure that there is limited impact on the host community.

"This includes for sites that are already in use, such as the Hilltop Hotel.

"As a country, we have always been very welcoming to immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.

"Indeed, here in Carlisle we have welcomed immigrants over the decades who have gone on to make a valuable contribution to our civic life and our country’s prosperity.

"However, there are legitimate concerns about the level of immigration through illegal routes – such as boat crossings – and the real problems this is creating.

"On a national level, I am becoming increasingly frustrated at a system that is allowing the numbers we see arriving illegally.

"There needs to be immediate action on both the physical border level and the legal level to reduce these numbers.”

'The use of hotels to house asylum seekers is unacceptable'

A Home Office spokesperson said that no asylum seekers have been moved to Cumbria Park Hotel from Hilltop Hotel and added: “The number of people arriving in the UK who require accommodation has reached record levels and has put our asylum system under incredible strain.

“The use of hotels to house asylum seekers is unacceptable – there are currently more than 37,000 asylum seekers in hotels costing the UK taxpayer £5.6million a day.

"The use of hotels is a short-term solution and we are working hard with local authorities to find appropriate accommodation.”