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Security firm Serco has booked asylum seekers into hotels after winning a £175million Government contract to provide accommodation in the North West.

A group of about 30 asylum seekers, mainly from Sudan and Syria, have full board accommodation at the three-star Britannia Hotel in Stockport, Gtr Manchester, with access to the pool, spa, gym, sauna, and bistro.

A six-month stay for 30 would cost around £200,000.

Serco signed a deal in 2012 to provide accommodation for asylum seekers in Manchester and the North West over five years.

Jenni Halliday, of Serco, said: “The use of hotels does not cost taxpayers anything extra. Our priority is to make sure that they are safe.”

Another 20 asylum seekers have been staying in a Travelodge in Sidcup, Kent, paid for by the Home Office.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Decisions on the use of hotel accommodation, including which premises are used, are made by individual contractors who bear the cost.

“We have made clear to our providers that the use of hotels is only ever acceptable as a short-term contingency measure. We are taking steps with providers to ensure that this is the case.”