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A Reform UK council has said it plans to spend £150,000 to deploy security guards in response to safety concerns over “daily gatherings of asylum seekers”.
Essex County Council said the “operatives” would be introduced in town and city centres in Braintree, Colchester and Chelmsford to deter anti-social behaviour and reassure residents.
But the personnel will have no more power than other members of the public to take any action against crime, and law enforcement will still need to be led by local police.
Government plans to expand the use of nearby former RAF airbase Wethersfield to house asylum seekers, some of whom travel to surrounding areas by bus, have been heavily criticised by the local authority.
Essex council said there was “anecdotal evidence” that “the presence of this community of asylum seekers creates a fear and perception of a risk of crime”.
It argues the proposed expansion of the site is likely to heighten concerns despite the Home Office saying there is no evidence of increased offending levels in town centres as a result of the people staying there.
Labour and the Liberal Democrats have accused Reform of stoking division and wasting taxpayer money with the plans.
The move to deploy trained guards could help provide “intelligence” to local authorities and reduce anxieties, an executive decision paper for the council published on Saturday said.
But it acknowledged that “security staff will have no more powers to take any action than a member of the public, and they will need to be visible without intruding upon anyone’s lawful activities”.
The paper adds: “Any need for law enforcement will need to be led by Essex Police.”
The move is expected to cost £150,000 drawn from a community improvement fund for a three-month trial, with further investment required if the plans are extended over a longer period.
Ministers are seeking to fill 1,245 bedspaces at Wethersfield, up from a cap of 800, after pledging to end the costly use of hotels to house asylum seekers.
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