A FLOATING accommodation centre off the shores of Britain could be the way to prevent a massive asylum seeker centre being built in a Worcestershire village.

The idea is one avenue being explored by Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff in his battle to prevent the former Throckmorton RAF base being turned into a 750-bed accommodation centre.

Speaking to around 250 people at a public meeting organised by PACT (Protest at the Asylum Centre at Throckmorton) last night, he confirmed he would be visiting Rotterdam at the end of June.

The Dutch authorities have utilised their lack of space on land by constructed floating facilities within their ports.

Mr Luff emphasised there was no lengthy bidding or planning process to go through, so this type of centre would deal with the problem immediately.

The Tory MP felt other systems needed researching before going ahead with the three trial sites, which include RAF Newton, Nottinghamshire, and Bicester, Oxfordshire.

"The Government is in for a rough ride on these issues," said Mr Luff, speaking at Pershore High School. "There is a consensus shared by everyone except the Government."

The Tory MP feared policing, education and health facilities for asylum seekers in Worcestershire could put a strain on stretched resources.

He had discussed the issue with West Mercia Police and said there was a real concern there would not be enough officers to police the area thoroughly.

He said schools, in particular, would struggle to find room for children of asylum seekers, following Home Secretary David Blunkett's announcement that they would be sent to local schools if their application had not been processed within nine months.

And he believed health was another critical area which had not been researched thoroughly.

"Many of the asylum seekers will have physical and mental problems. Some may be victims of torture and others may have stress-related diseases such as tuberculosis," said Mr Luff.

"The doctors in Worcestershire do not have the time, resources and the expertise to deal with all of these problems, not to mention the stresses which would be placed upon the new Worcestershire Royal Hospital."

After the meeting, PACT member Gary Robinson said the organisation was building up a reserve fund to employ barristers to fight the plans.