NEW Asylum Minister Bev Hughes has vowed to visit Throckmorton to speak to protesters fighting plans for a massive asylum seekers centre.

Ms Hughes, who was appointed to the role in last month's cabinet reshuffle, will visit the site in the next week or two.

She said she wanted to hear residents' concerns about the proposed 750-bed site first-hand.

But Ms Hughes is standing firm on the principle of placing asylum seekers in rural locations, rather than bigger towns and cities.

Her predecessor, Lord Rooker, provoked fury when he said Worcestershire must be prepared to share the "burden" with cities such as Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.

"We are not prepared to accept the premise that places which have the most experience of accepting asylum seekers should continue to be the only ones to do so," said Ms Hughes.

The Minister spoke out after coming under pressure in a Commons debate on the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill.

During the debate, Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff repeated his demand for householders living close to RAF Throckmorton to be paid compensation.

The Government has flatly refused this request.

"There is a foot-and-mouth burial site 300 yards from the proposed site, and every one of the small number of houses affected is completely unsaleable,"said Mr Luff.

"They are all on the market and there are no takers for them.

"Some of those people desperately need to get on with their lives and they cannot do so because of the Government."

After the debate, Mr Luff welcomed Ms Hughes's promise to visit the site, saying it was "encouraging""

"It will give us the chance to show her just how unsuitable Throckmorton is," he added.