Giant barge that will house hundreds of asylum seekers finally on its way to port

The Bibby Stockholm has left Falmouth where it has been refitted and is being towed to Portland, Dorset, where it is expected to accommodate 500 migrants. It was supposed to arrive a month ago

The Bibby Stockholm is towed from Cornwall (

Image: Greg Martin)

A giant barge due to accommodate 500 migrants has left its dock in Cornwall and is heading for Dorset.

The Bibby Stockholm has left its berth in Falmouth and is expected to be towed to its destination in Portland, Dorset. The 305ft barge was brought into Cornish waters in May for checks and refurbishment.

The 10,659-ton, 222-cabin mega-ship built in the 1970s was due to arrive in Portland a month ago, despite resistance from local council and Conservative MP Richard Drax. But work on the barge had been delayed and it was not until this morning that tugs began towing the vessel out of Falmouth harbour.

He arrived in Cornwall in May (

Picture:

Getty Images)

A Home Office spokesperson said: "We can confirm that Bibby Stockholm is now en route to the port of Portland. The use of ships as alternative accommodation, as our European neighbors already do, will be better for UK taxpayers and more manageable for communities than expensive hotels.

“We continue to work closely with local councils and key partners to prepare for the arrival of asylum seekers later this month and minimize disruption to local residents, including through financial support substantial."

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesman said: "It is good for the public at large that we are moving away from a situation where taxpayers' money of £6m a day is being used to house these people in hotels

"It's not a good use of money. Of course, it also puts unforeseen pressures on local areas.

"We believe it is better to open specific sites designed to accommodate immigrants who arrive in a more planned way, and that is what we seek to do with the Bibby Stockholm."

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper declined to say whether Labor would stop using barges and military bases to house migrants if the party won power.