Babak Belurs: Maret 2023

Jumat, 31 Maret 2023

Man to serve at least 14 years for murder of woman who mistook his Welsh home for B&B - The Guardian

A “cowardly bully” has been jailed for life with a minimum of 14 years in prison for murdering a 71-year-old woman who mistook his home for a B&B and got into his bed.

Margaret Barnes had been visiting Barmouth in Wales from her home in Birmingham when she mistook her accommodation for the home of David Redfern, a few doors away, Caernarfon crown court heard.

After Redfern, 46, and his partner discovered her when they went up to bed, a row broke out and Barnes was dragged by her heels down the stairs and flung out of the house.

Redfern also kicked or stamped on the frail pensioner, breaking three of her ribs and causing a catastrophic and unsurvivable injury to her liver. Barnes died on the pavement outside, the court heard.

Redfern denied murdering Margaret Barnes on 11 July last year but was convicted by a jury this week.

Handing him a mandatory life sentence for murder with a minimum 14 years before parole, Mr Justice Charles Bourne told the defendant: “I accept you must have been very shocked to find a stranger in your house, your bedroom. But your reaction surpasses anything that any reasonable person could imagine.

“You are a large and strong man, aged 45 at the time. She was small and slight, at least 25 years older than you, clearly affected by alcohol and unsteady on her feet.

“I can understand why you might have escorted her out of your house, though a different person might have responded to this situation by trying to help her. But the assault, a kick or stamp of sufficient force to cause a fatal injury, was a dreadful thing to do to a defenceless elderly person.”

Earlier, the court heard that arrangements had been made with a local B&B for Barnes to stay in Barmouth and she had been out drinking with friends and was unsteady on her feet.

She mistook her accommodation for Redfern’s home and went inside and got in bed at about 10.10pm on 10 July last year.

When Redfern and his partner went upstairs to bed about 40 minutes later, Redfern at first calmly called police and asked officers to come to remove her. But things then went “terribly wrong” after a row broke out, the court heard.

Redfern told the jury he had found Barnes sitting up in their bed drinking gin and tonic, with her false teeth on the bedside table.

Outside court, Det Supt Mark Pierce of North Wales police said: “During a two-week trial Redfern showed no remorse, attempted to blame Margaret for his actions and subjected her family to the trauma of a two-week trial where details of the event were explored in graphic detail.

“David Redfern is a cowardly, vicious bully and will now spend at least 14 years behind bars where he can reflect on what he has done.”

The Barnes family said: “It has been the hardest time of our lives. It has been especially difficult for Margaret’s husband who had been her partner for 56 years. We now have some sort of closure on what has happened; however, no length of sentence will ever fill the void that Margaret has left behind.”

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2023-03-31 16:20:00Z
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Man jailed for life after murdering pensioner who mistook his home for B&B and got into his bed - Sky News

A man has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 14 years for murdering a woman who mistook his home for a B&B and got into his bed.

David Redfern, 46, from Barmouth in north Wales, was sentenced at Caernarfon Crown Court on Friday.

Margaret Barnes, from Birmingham, died on Marine Parade, Barmouth, in the early hours of 11 July 2022.

Redfern's trial heard he dragged the 71-year-old down the stairs and was accused of kicking or stamping on her, inflicting liver injuries on her, which the pathologist described as being "un-survivable" and similar to those seen in car crash victims.

During sentencing, the judge described Redfern's behaviour towards Ms Barnes as "aggressive and offensive", adding that it was after he had called the police that things went "terribly wrong".

After finding Ms Barnes in his bed - holding a drink and surrounded by what appeared to be her belongings - Redfern's actions of asking her what she was doing in his home were "entirely appropriate", the judge said.

But the "trigger" for what happened next was Ms Barnes accusing Redfern's partner, Nicola Learoyd-Lewis, of stealing her handbag and lunging towards her, after the phone call to police had been made.

The judge added that when outside the house, Redfern watched Ms Barnes in an "aggressive" or "threatening" attitude as she tried to gather her belongings.

In comparison, Ms Learoyd-Lewis acted "gently" and "carefully", guiding Ms Barnes, who was unsteady on her feet, outside of the property.

Redfern's sentence was slightly lowered from the maximum of 14-15 years, due to the "sudden and bizarre circumstances" in which the offence was committed, and the "lack of intention to kill".

He previously admitted to having been drinking on the evening of 10 July 2022 - "about six or seven pints in total with, I believe, a gin and tonic".

He also acknowledged in his evidence that some of the comments he made towards Ms Barnes "were appalling", adding that he thought she was "very drunk" at the time.

In a statement released after the jury's verdict on Wednesday, Ms Barnes's family described her as "a much-loved wife, mother and grandmother".

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2023-03-31 15:11:15Z
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Kamis, 30 Maret 2023

Charles Bronson has lost a Parole Board bid to be freed from jail - Manchester Evening News

Notorious prisoner Charles Bronson has lost a Parole Board bid to be freed from jail.

The decision comes after one of the UK’s longest-serving prisoners – who changed his surname to Salvador in 2014 – took part in one of the country’s first public parole hearings earlier this month. In a document detailing the decision published on Thursday (March 30), the Parole Board said: “After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress that Mr Salvador has made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearings, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Salvador was suitable for release.

“Nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that he should be transferred to an open prison.”

Once dubbed one of Britain’s most violent offenders, Bronson has spent most of the past 48 years behind bars, apart from two brief periods of freedom during which he reoffended, for a string of thefts, firearms and violent offences, including 11 hostage-taking incidents in nine different sieges. Victims included governors, doctors, staff and, on one occasion, his own solicitor.

Bronson was handed a discretionary life sentence with a minimum term of four years in 2000 for taking a prison teacher at HMP Hull hostage for 44 hours. Since then, the Parole Board has repeatedly refused to direct his release. Three parole judges considered his case during a hearing at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, while members of the press and public watched part of the proceedings on a live stream from the Royal Courts of Justice in central London.

A court artist sketch of Charles Bronson appearing via video link from HMP Woodhill, during his public parole hearing at the Royal Courts Of Justice in London (Image: Elizabeth Cook/PA Wire/PA Images)

Bronson – whose real name is Michael Peterson and has previously been diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder – told parole judges he loved a “rumble” and enjoyed mass brawls in prison, but insisted he is now a reformed prisoner, has found solace in art and is a man of “peace”.

He likened his experience in front of the Parole Board to being on BBC programme The Apprentice. A psychologist told the panel Bronson has post-traumatic stress disorder after facing some “brutal and unacceptable” treatment behind bars. He has been held in solitary confinement for much of his time in jail.

During the hearing he was described as holding “anti-authoritarian views” and being “suspicious” of the motives of others, as well as having a “romanticised” view of violent incidents in the past. None of the prison and probation officials who gave evidence at the parole hearing said he was ready to be released.

Bronson is the second inmate in UK legal history to have his case heard in public after rules were changed last year in a bid to remove the secrecy around the process.

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2023-03-30 11:51:08Z
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King Charles avoids mention of Brexit in speech to German parliament - The Guardian

King Charles said he wanted to “renew the special bond of friendship” between the UK and Germany, without mentioning the B-word that has caused the friendship to grow cold in recent years, as he addressed the Bundestag in Berlin on Thursday.

The monarch’s speech was the first given to Germany’s federal parliament by a non-elected head of state. It was pitched as a celebration of cultural commonalities and joint ventures past and present – from a shared love of music and comedy to energy and security cooperation – and an attempt to repair ties that have fractured since the Brexit vote seven years ago.

“Great Britain and Germany are, and will remain, close allies and trusting partners, even after the decision to leave the European Union,” said the Bundestag’s president, Bärbel Bas, in her introduction, but Charles did not pick up the baton. In his 25-minute speech, he declined to mention Brexit or the EU.

Instead, the king thanked the German people for their condolences on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who he said had “held a special place in German hearts”, and he spoke of the role she played in the reconciliation process that brought the two countries together after the second world war.

In a stopgap history that covered the Hanseatic League, Shakespeare, football rivalries, Kraftwerk and the Beatles, the king also highlighted Anglo-German leadership on offshore wind power production and material and financial support for Ukraine’s defensive war against Russia.

“Germany’s decision to give Ukraine such great military support is considerably brave, important and welcome,” Charles said.

Switching repeatedly between his English tongue and the German language spoken fluently by his late father, he only occasionally stumbled over unwieldy compounds such as “Rechenschaftspflicht” (“accountability”). It might have helped if an aide had pointed out that there is no “sh” sound in “Bundestag”.

At a gala dinner at Bellevue Palace on Wednesday night, the German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, described the king’s decision to visit Germany before his coronation as not just a great personal statement but a “strong European gesture”. “It means a lot to me, a lot to us Germans,” he said.

The German head of state tried to repay the gesture to his British counterpart by putting on an evening full of the kind of formal pageantry that is a relatively rare sight in the comfortably dishevelled metropolis on the River Spree.

About 120 guests including the former chancellor Angela Merkel, key cabinet ministers, some of the king’s aristocratic German relatives, the architect David Chipperfield and Campino, the Anglo-German singer of the rock band Die Toten Hosen, walked down the red carpet variously wearing evening gowns and tailcoats and chatted over Rheingau Riesling and carp with Erfurt watercress until midnight.

For some members of Germany’s parliament, the pomp and circumstance was too much. Martin Schirdewan, a co-chair of the leftwing party Die Linke, complained before the speech that it was “inappropriate” for the country’s highest democratic body to “bow” in front of a monarch who had been “born with a silver spoon in his mouth”.

His party colleague Jan Korte suggested the Bundestag should have invited a Rolling Stone instead. “Even if Keith Richards were to merely play guitar in the plenary chamber, it would be a greater sign of the connectedness between the people of Great Britain and the Federal Republic than the appearance of a king who has inherited his right to speak,” Korte said.

Some of the seats in Die Linke’s section of the plenary chamber remained empty throughout the king’s speech on Thursday. Of those who did turn up, half a dozen remained seated upon the monarch’s entrance but rose during the two-minute standing ovation at the end.

After his speech, Charles visited the refugee shelter at Berlin’s former Tegel airport before heading from the heart of the capital to the countryside. In Brandenburg state he was due to meet soldiers from the German-British Amphibious Engineer Battalion 130 and visit Brodowin, an eco-village where farmers use homeopathic remedies to work their land and treat their livestock.

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2023-03-30 16:31:00Z
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Margaret Ferrier: Probe says MP should be suspended for Covid breach - BBC

MP Margaret Ferrier should be suspended from the Commons for 30 days for breaching Covid rules, the standards committee has recommended.

The suspension would likely lead to a by-election in her Rutherglen constituency if it was imposed.

Ms Ferrier spoke in parliament in September 2020 while awaiting the results of a Covid test.

She then took the train home to Glasgow after being told she had tested positive.

She lost the SNP whip and has since pled guilty to breaching Covid rules. She was sentenced to carry out 270 hours of community service.

The charge stated that she had failed to self isolate and had "exposed people to risk of infection, illness and death".

Labour would have high hopes of winning any by-election in Rutherglen. Ms Ferrier had a majority of 5,230 at the last general election when she won the SNP for the SNP, with Labour finishing second.

She has been sitting in the Commons as an independent MP since losing the SNP whip.

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Rabu, 29 Maret 2023

King Charles to lay wreath to German victims of wartime air raids - The Guardian

King Charles will this week become the first British monarch to lay a wreath to the German victims of allied air raids in the second world war.

The move is a departure from his mother’s handling of the historically sensitive subject on previous royal visits to the country.

At the end of his first state visit as monarch, Charles III is scheduled on Friday to visit Hamburg’s St Nikolai memorial, a 12th-century church severely damaged during Operation Gomorrah in July 1943 and since preserved in its ruined state to commemorate its victims.

Originally designed by the English architect George Gilbert Scott, the church was used as a landmark by bomber pilots during the eight-day campaign in which approximately 34,000 to 40,000 Hamburg residents lost their lives.

The ceremony, which will include a reading of the Coventry litany of reconciliation that was written in response to the destruction of the British medieval cathedral by German bombs, will mark the upcoming 80th anniversary of the allied air raids on Hamburg.

Charles’s visit to the memorial is in contrast to the approach taken by his mother. During a visit to the eastern German city of Dresden in 1992, the carriage of Queen Elizabeth II drove a lap of honour around the ruins of the Frauenkirche church – to whose reconstruction cost the British palace contributed – but she did not lay a wreath as some in the city had expected.

While the lack of such a gesture hardly amounted to a scandal, it garnered the monarch a frosty reception in Dresden, where she was greeted on the old market square with some boos and two eggs that did not hit their target.

“The Queen wanted to light a candle for peace and reconciliation, but the unforgiving people on Dresden’s old market square, where they burned thousands of corpses after the firebombing of February 1945, wanted to her to say sorry,” the Guardian reported at the time. “She stayed silent throughout her 80-minute visit.”

At subsequent commemorative events linked to the war, such as the Queen’s wreath-laying at Berlin’s Neue Wache in 2015 or Charles’s speech to the Bundestag in 2020, British royals have habitually commemorated “all victims” of the war.

By contrast, the St Nikolai memorial serves specifically to reflect the northern German city’s devastation at the hands of the Royal Air Force and US Army Air Forces, though a museum in the former church’s basement also addresses the Nazi terror that precipitated the bombings and how the destruction was used to justify deportations and persecutions.

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While the royal palace and the British embassy have not highlighted the significance of the St Nikolai visit, the German tabloid Bild wrote on Wednesday that “King Charles will write history”. It said: “It will be a silent gesture, a brief bow, a silent prayer. But it will say more than any speech.”

On his trip, which also includes an address to the German parliament in Berlin and flower-laying at a Kindertransport memorial in Hamburg, Charles can expect a broadly positive reception, with German media interpreting the visit as part of an effort to patch up relations frayed by Britain’s exit from the EU.

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2023-03-29 15:27:00Z
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Man found guilty of murdering woman who mistook his home for B&B in North Wales - Sky News

A man has been found guilty of murdering a woman who entered his north Wales home, mistaking it for a bed and breakfast.

Margaret Barnes, 71, from Birmingham, died on Marine Parade, Barmouth, in the early hours of 11 July 2022.

The jury at Caernarfon Crown Court heard that David Redfern, 46, had dragged Ms Barnes down the stairs after he found her in his bedroom.

Redfern was accused of kicking or stamping on Ms Barnes in an incident that led to what a pathologist described as liver injuries similar to those seen in car crash victims.

In a statement released after the jury's verdict, Ms Barnes's family described her as "a much-loved wife, mother and grandmother".

"As a family it has been the hardest time of our lives. It has been especially difficult for Margaret's husband who had been her partner for 56 years.

"We now have some sort of closure on what has happened, however no length of sentence will ever fill the void that Margaret has left behind. As a family we would like to thank the police [for] their hard work in putting the case together."

During the trial, Redfern admitted to having been drinking on the evening of 10 July 2022 - "about six or seven pints in total with, I believe, a gin and tonic".

Upon entering the bedroom with his partner, Nicola Learoyd-Lewis, that evening he recalled that "there was a lady lying in our bed, drinking and smoking".

Redfern described a "black travel case" which was "open on the floor and clothes hanging up and strewn around the bedroom".

Ms Barnes is said to have told Redfern and Ms Learoyd-Lewis that "this is my room" and that it was the "only room available", adding that she was "meant to be here".

Redfern said that he was attempting to defend his partner when he and Ms Barnes lost their balance and he "fell directly on top of Ms Barnes".

He then proceeded to move Ms Barnes down the staircase by her "calf or ankle".

'Failed football challenge'

Once outside the property, "Ms Barnes was irate about the fact that she couldn't find her handbag," Redfern said, and she is said to have accused Ms Learoyd-Lewis of "stealing" it.

Redfern had argued that he "slipped and tripped" and "collided and clattered into Ms Barnes… like a failed football challenge" after she "lunged" towards Ms Learoyd-Lewis.

The jury also heard that Redfern referred to Ms Barnes as a "f****** thieving c***".

Redfern acknowledged in his evidence that "some of the comments [he] made were appalling".

"I honestly just thought Ms Barnes was very drunk, I'm truly sorry for the inappropriate remarks I made," he added.

Redfern denied he had a short temper when asked by the prosecution.

When questioned further, Redfern confirmed that he had been attending anger management sessions, saying: "I have an awful lot going on in a very busy life."

He added that he had been "speaking to a therapist to help myself. To help me understand how I could better interact with those that I loved".

'Sounding heated'

A statement from a neighbour heard by the jury detailed how she "overheard shouting from outside" on the night of Sunday, 10 July 2022.

"I immediately thought that he [Redfern] was arguing with Nikki," the neighbour added, as she would "often" hear them arguing.

"He [Redfern] was really loud and sounding heated," said the neighbour, adding that he "sounded like a raving lunatic".

The pathologist Dr Brian Rogers told the jury that Ms Barnes's fatal injuries were similar to "impact damage you'd see in a liver after a road traffic collision".

He added that it was not a "survivable" injury for a woman of 71 years.

The court heard that Ms Barnes had survived for around two hours after being ejected from the property.

This was an "unusual length of survival" according to Dr Rogers, but he added that "everyone behaves differently".

David Redfern will be sentenced on Friday.

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2023-03-29 16:09:59Z
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How German is the British Royal family? - The Telegraph

How German is the Royal family? is a question that has been searched on Google with surprising regularity.

Queen Victoria was famously known as the “grandmother of Europe” and it was her marriage to the German Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha that cemented the British monarchy’s German ties.

They first began with the 1714 crowning of George I of Hanover - an English “king” who barely spoke any English.

Victoria made sure her children married into other European royal courts - and today her descendants sit on the throne in many European royal houses, including Queen Margrethe of Denmark and kings Harald of Norway and Carl Gustav of Sweden.

When Victoria’s grandson, George V, succeeded Edward VII as King in 1910, he married Maria von Teck, who also had German blood. His reign coincided with the First World War waged against his cousin, German emperor Wilhelm II.

The scene at Buckingham Palace showing the Royal Party on the balcony after the wedding of the Duke of Gloucester and Lady Alice Scott Credit: AP

As attitudes to Germany soured in Britain, George V changed the German family name to Windsor and renounced all German titles, as did his cousin Ludwig von Battenberg, who renamed his family Mountbatten.

Prince Philip came from this family and when he married George V's granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II, he relinquished his German title of nobility. Yet he had predominantly German ancestors and spoke fluent German.

He wanted both sides of his family represented when he was laid to rest - and as a result, three of his German relatives were among the 30 handpicked guests at his funeral at Windsor Castle in 2021.

The then Prince Charles and his wife Camilla pose in front of the Brandenburg Gate during their visit to Berlin in May 2019 Credit: Soeren Stache/DPA/AFP via Getty Images

Bernhard, the hereditary prince of Baden, 52, who is the grandson of Philip’s sister Theodora, was present along with Donatus, 56, who is prince and head of the house of Hesse, into which the late Duke’s sister Cecile married. And Prince Philipp of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, 53, who is the grandson of Philip’s elder sister Princess Margarita, was also present for the ceremony at St George’s Chapel.

To this day, the Royal family still continues some of the traditions of its German ancestors in private, including exchanging gifts on Christmas Eve.

So the answer to the question "how German is the Royal family" is: sehr (very). The King has a bloodline made up of roughly half German ancestors.

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2023-03-29 12:18:00Z
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TV star and comedian Paul O'Grady has died at the age of 67 - Sky News

TV star and comedian Paul O'Grady has died at the age of 67, his partner Andre Portasio has said.

In a statement, he said the star, known for his drag queen persona Lily Savage, died "unexpectedly but peacefully" on Tuesday evening.

The presenter, who was born in Merseyside, hosted a number of game shows including Blankety Blank in the late 90s under the guise of Savage.

His career spanned more than 30 years, during which he hosted The Paul O'Grady Show, Blind Date and For The Love Of Dogs.

He also featured on TV shows such as Dr Who and Holby City.

Mr Portasio, who married O'Grady in 2017, said: "It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening.

"We ask, at this difficult time, that whilst you celebrate his life you also respect our privacy as we come to terms with this loss.

"He will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all those who enjoyed his humour, wit and compassion.

"I know that he would want me to thank you for all the love you have shown him over the years."

O'Grady also leaves behind his daughter Sharon, who he had with close friend Diane Jansen in 1974, as well as two grandchildren.

He was also once married to Portuguese model Teresa Fernandes in what he called a "marriage of convenience" in 1977, reportedly to stop her from being deported - they later divorced in 2005.

O'Grady said Fernandes, a lesbian from a strict Catholic family, had been feeling pressure to get married and that he wanted to help her.

In 2012, O'Grady spoke about his health after having had two heart attacks.

He said following the publication of his third book: "The worst thing you can do is to sit and fret.

"I take tablets and have check-ups every eight months when they put me on the treadmill. I say to them, 'Heart attack or not, I'm hopeless on treadmills!'"

Both his parents died young from heart problems - his father when O'Grady was in his late teens and his mother, whose maiden name was Savage, when he was 33.

The name is believed to have inspired his famous drag alter ego who helped propel him to mainstream success.

'We have lost a unique talent'

Long-time friend and producer, Malcolm Prince, offered his tribute to O'Grady having visited him at his home only yesterday.

Mr Prince said: "I popped round to Paul's for a good old catch-up. Surrounded by his beloved dogs, he was laughing smiling and full of life. He was looking forward to so many new projects.

"And now he's gone I can't believe it. We have lost a unique talent - and I've lost a dear friend. We were all lucky to have Paul in our lives.

"My heart goes out to Andre, Paul's family, and friends. Oh how I'll miss him."

'He made millions laugh': Tributes pour in for O'Grady

The rise of Paul O'Grady

He began his career as Lily Savage in the 1970s and the act later gained traction at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern cabaret club, where he was a prominent advocate of LGBT+ issues.

The Savage persona propelled him to TV and radio whilst he remained in character, and he took over as The Big Breakfast presenter in 1995.

Blankety Blank, which ran until 2002, would showcase his dry humour.

Comedy chat shows would follow with The Paul O'Grady Show in 2004, and Paul O'Grady Live in 2010, which featured guests like Kylie Minogue, Tom Jones and Michael McIntyre.

The presenter was honoured with an MBE for services to entertainment in 2008, adding to a list of achievements including a TV Bafta, a British Comedy Award, and a National Television Award for The Paul O'Grady Show.

Last year O'Grady commemorated 160 years of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home with the Queen Consort in a special episode of For The Love Of Dogs.

Further tributes have poured in for the much-loved comedian.

Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said: "Paul wasn't just a brilliant comedian and broadcast personality but a much-admired campaigner for LGBT+ equality and animal rights."

ITV's Lorraine Kelly described him as "a really special man" and "funny, fearless, brave, kind and wise".

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2023-03-29 05:37:30Z
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UK asylum plans: Barges and ex-bases set to be used to house migrants - BBC

By Ione Wells, Political Correspondent & Andre Rhoden-Paul

BBC News

Plans to move away from using hotels to house asylum seekers and instead place them on ferries, barges and ex-military bases are set to be unveiled by the government on Wednesday.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick is to make the announcement, billed as a "move to rudimentary accommodation".

The UK says it is spending £6.2m a day on hotels for asylum seekers.

However the plans, and the new locations themselves are likely to prove controversial.

Mr Jenrick is expected to say that people arriving in the UK through unauthorised means will be housed at several ex-military sites.

The BBC understands the government has already secured the necessary planning changes needed to repurpose former bases in Lincolnshire and Essex, and both could be in use within weeks.

But it is thought while plans to use ferries and barges are under consideration they are not at an advanced stage, with details including how many vessels are needed and where they will be moored unlikely to be confirmed today.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has previously criticised plans to house asylum seekers at the base near the village of Wethersfield in his Essex constituency of Braintree.

He said the site was "inappropriate" because it was remote and had limited transport infrastructure.

It is expected Mr Jenrick will also announce that the Home Office will use the RAF Scampton site - home of the Dambusters during the Second World War - near to the village of Scampton in Lincolnshire.

Sir Edward Leigh, the Tory MP for the area, has previously criticised the choice.

A deal had been agreed in March to allow West Lindsey District Council to purchase the base from the Ministry of Defence as part of a £300m regeneration project of the site for commercial activity, heritage, tourism and research.

Government sources say each site will have the capacity to house 1,500-2,000 migrants, and initially are more are likely to be used for new arrivals rather than to rehouse people currently in hotels.

The government is considering using a "giant barge" capable of holding hundreds of people, according to the Times with a government source telling the paper it would have a "deterrent effect" on people arriving in small boats.

Disused cruise ships, empty holiday parks and former student halls have also under consideration as alternatives to hotels.

How many people cross the Channel in small boats?

How is the UK stopping Channel crossings?

The BBC understands more than 51,000 people are being housed in 395 hotels currently.

Mr Sunak told his cabinet on Tuesday that cost of the current approach and pressure it put on local areas was not sustainable, according to No 10.

At a House of Commons Liaison Committee, the prime minister said children cannot be exempted from plans to detain people who cross the Channel in small boats to prevent the creation of a "pull factor".

It comes as the government's asylum proposals laid out in the Illegal Migration Bill are being debated in Parliament.

The legislation aims to stop migrants claiming asylum in the UK if they arrive through unauthorised means, by crossing the English Channel in small boats.

Asylum seekers could be detained without bail or judicial review for 28 days before being removed to their home country or a safe third country like Rwanda.

A government spokesperson said: "We have always been upfront about the unprecedented pressure being placed on our asylum system, brought about by a significant increase in dangerous and illegal journeys into the country.

"We continue to work across government and with local authorities to identify a range of accommodation options.

"The government remains committed to engaging with local authorities and key stakeholders as part of this process."

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