Originally Posted by
Ericsladkilnhurst
Holiday Inn Hotel at Manvers, Wath-on-Dearne
The hotel manager at the Holiday Inn has hit back at the backlash from residents, the council
& MP's since the government extended its contract to house asylum seekers.
The manager said she was disapointed at the aggression from some groups, & individuals
towards those staying at the Holiday Inn, Manvers.
Residents have discovered police have been called to dozens of incidents , which may be
linked to the hotel, while Rotherham council have raised concerns regarding the suitability of the
hotel for housing asylum seekers, to which they were considering taking legal action. But other
councils had brought legal challenges with a similar problem, so at the present time advised
not to proceed.
The Holiday Inn, at Manvers is owned by a family who are immigrants to the U/K themselves,
the manager said, that the hotel was asked by agents on behalf of the Home Office, to
consider housing refugees, & the hotel thought it was a duty of care to those seeking asylum.
After submitting a Freedom of Information request to the police, regarding the number of
incidents that had taken place at the hotel, since asylum seekers & refugees arrived last
September
Police gave details of cases where the premises were named between January 2018 &
September 2022, the FOI response which the Weekender newspaper had seen, showed
the police were called to a total of 72 incidents, including assault, stalking, rape, ***ual
assault, theft, modern slavery & trafficking, with 36 of those incidents taking place between
2021 & 2022.
Only 4 people were charged or summonsed in relation to these figures, residents have
voiced their concerns, a young girl on a electric scooter was frightened after 3 men were
standing on the landing at the hotel staring & watching her, the child will not play outside
her own home now, with one person saying they take their dog out after feeling intimidated
by the young men in the hotel.
Opposition groups have reportedly demonstrated at the hotel, including a You tube channel
called Yorkshire Rose, who record footage of hotels across the country, where asylum
seekers are housed
Local MP John Healey said he would be taking the hotel issue forward, with the minister for
immigration, Robert Jenrick, with John Healey saying he had met representatives from the
Manvers Residents Association to discuss their concerns.
After the police were contacted by the Rotherham Advertiser, [ Weekender sister paper ] for
comment on anti-social behaviour at the hotel, police said it was classed as " Noise Pollution ",
which was Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council's responsibility.