James Cleverly criticises plans to house asylum seekers in Braintree

Foreign secretary says airbase in north Essex not appropriate for scheme to detain and deport people en masse

The foreign secretary has criticised plans to house asylum seekers at an RAF base in his constituency as part of a controversial scheme announced on Tuesday to detain and deport people en masse.

The Guardian first reported several days ago that people in north Essex were urging ministers to abandon plans to accommodate 1,500 male asylum seekers at a former RAF base on their doorstep. The Home Office declined to comment on whether the plans were to use the site as a detention centre or as an accommodation centre.