POLICE have asked for at least a month's delay before asylum seekers start arriving at a new reception centre near York, an MP told the Commons last night.

Thirsk & Malton MP Keven Hollinrake also raised concerns about the impact of the Home Office proposals for the former RAF Linton on Ouse base on former service personnel who live nearby.

He said it might be that some of the asylum seekers held a grudge against service personnel who had fought in Iraq and elsewhere.

"A grudge held against them might put their lives in peril," he said. "No consideration has been made of that. It cannot be right that the Home Office is not showing a reasonable duty of care."

The MP was speaking during a special debate about plans to move up to 1,500 asylum seekers on to the former RAF base at Linton on Ouse.

The first 60 asylum seekers are due to arrive there by early next week, but Mr Hollinrake said there had been an indication by the Home Office that this might be delayed.

"We do not know by how long yet, but nevertheless, none of the plan for mental health support, GP support or dental support has yet been articulated," he said.

"The police plan has not yet been articulated. It is simply wrong. We absolutely should delay right away, and there should be no talk of this happening in a week’s time.

"The police have asked for at least a month’s delay. If the police want a month’s delay, the Home Office surely cannot ignore the police and crime commissioner’s recommendation, which has the support of her senior officers, and carry on regardless without listening to the expert advice of those people."

York Central MP Rachael Maskell said the proposals impacted on York, as she had discussed with York City of Sanctuary.

"We are concerned about people’s access to vital infrastructure and services such as the NHS, which is based in the middle of my constituency," she said.

"It is completely inaccessible outside of hours for people in Linton-on-Ouse without private transport."

Home Office minister Kevin Foster said RAF Linton-on-Ouse had been identified as a 'viable 'location to. develop an accommodation centre because it offered many established accommodation units and amenities that had been kept in reasonable condition, including canteens and recreational and sports facilities together with education, religious, medical and office facilities.

"The presence of those existing facilities means that the Government can move at pace to meet the increase in demand and use the centre as part of the move away from hotel usage."

He said: "The final decision to place service users on the site will only be taken once the services are in place and we are clear it is safe and legal to do so."