AN MP has said the sooner Rwanda flights can be launched, the sooner hotels like the Chichester will stop being used for asylum-seeking housing schemes.

The Chichester Hotel is currently home to asylum-seekers awaiting the outcomes on applications for residency.

Home Office plans for the scheme, first announced at the start of July, were met with anger after the hotel cancelled weddings, parties and large events to accommodate – with many customers allegedly still awaiting refunds.

Now Immigration Minister Kevin Foster MP has pledged to axe the housing scheme when the Home Office’s current three-month contract expires at the end of October.

Rayleigh and Wickford MP Mark Francois welcomes the news after he has been raising the issue with Government ministers and says the sooner Rwanda flights can be launched, the sooner hotels like the Chichester can stop being used.

He told BBC Essex: "I think the solution is to stop European judges from interfering in this issue and we have an arrangement with Rwanda where people can be flown out there and assessed there and I think we should uphold that arrangement and I would like to see those flights take place as soon as possible.

"In which case we're not going to need accommodation like this at the Chichester or indeed anywhere else."

Mr Francois added: "There have been lots of problems at the Chichester, a lot of people have had events cancelled, some at brutally short notice to make way for these people.

"Some of these people still haven't been reimbursed and I now intend to move on to pursue some of those cases with the hotel management.

"Overall I just didn't think it was a suitable location for the purpose."

Mr Francois has called for an HMRC investigation into the hotel