There are now more asylum seekers in Rochdale and Bolton than in all of the south east, leaked figures show.

And as of mid-August, there were more than 100 people living in hotels across Greater Manchester while they waited for their refugee applications to be processed, a situation branded a ‘farce’ by one MP.

Since December 2012, numbers in the north west have increased by more than 50pc - while falling by a fifth in London.

MPs and council leaders are again pressuring ministers to change the system, warning the region cannot cope.

An internal briefing provided to council leaders reveals there are were just under 9,000 asylum seekers in the north west at the end of June - 1,000 more than government estimates.

It puts Rochdale and Bolton’s combined figure at at 2,024 - compared to 1,617 in the south east.

That is likely to rise further as the knock-on effects of those coming through from Calais take hold.

A total of 129 asylum seekers were being put up in three hotels in Wigan, Stockport and Manchester. The paper says government provider Serco was forced to use hotels in order to deal with soaring numbers, despite MPs and David Cameron denouncing the move.

While originally town halls were promised that would stop by the end of July, the huge surge in national figures means hotel use is likely to continue for another month.

It also reveals councils across the north west are trying to draw up an agreement over how to cope.

It indicates Preston and Rossendale may be willing to take more than at present - but ultimately leaders want the region to take less of the burden.

The north west currently takes by far the highest numbers nationally, with Rochdale top in Greater Manchester.

Its MP is now writing to home office minister James Brokenshire to demand action.

Simon Danczuk said: “This report proves what I have been saying all along, - that Rochdale is taking more than its fair share of asylum seekers.

“It also shows that Greater Manchester and the north west are taking a disproportionately high number while other regions are not pulling their weight.”

He said hotel use showed the system was a ‘farce’.

Serco declined to comment.

Policy becoming 'untenable'

FOR more than a decade, ministers have operated a ‘dispersal’ policy when housing those seeking asylum from persecution.

It aims to spread the numbers out of London and the south east due to existing pressure on services in and around the capital. Many are placed in areas such as Rochdale due to the supply of cheap, vacant housing.

But as numbers rise, local politicians are warning the policy is becoming untenable.

Contractor Serco, which took over responsibility for housing asylum seekers from councils in 2012, has also been criticised for not informing local agencies of the people they are placing - adding sudden pressure to services.

Serco was contacted by the M.E.N. but did not comment.

A Home Office spokesman said: “Asylum seekers are housed according to their individual needs and where there is available and appropriate accommodation. Agreements between the government and local authorities are voluntary and have been in place since a previous Ggvernment drew them up in 1999.

“We work closely with local authorities to ensure that the impact of asylum dispersals are considered and acted upon.”