HUNDREDS of asylum seekers are expected in Blackburn and Darwen in the next 12 months as part of government plans to move people away from the south and into empty council homes across the UK.

Blackburn with Darwen Council have told the government it can make 60 three-bedroomed properties available for asylum seekers to use in the next year.

And the borough is likely to receive 120 single asylum seekers and 30 families of up to five people before April 2001.

The news comes after it was revealed that up to 390 asylum seekers could be housed in Hyndburn, with most destined for empty council homes in Huncoat's run-down Within Grove estate.

Once resident in their new homes, asylum seekers become eligible for all local authority services, including education and social services. The asylum seekers will be given vouchers instead of money to buy food, clothes and other items in certain stores.

Members of Blackburn with Darwen Council's housing committee will be told tonight that the asylum seekers are to be housed under the Asylum Act 1999, which put in place a formal framework for dispersing people away from the overcrowded London Boroughs and South East and into the care of local authorities in other areas of the UK.

Under interim provisions put in place in December asylum seekers have already been sent to authorities taking part in the scheme and Blackburn with Darwen Council has already housed eight single people and two families.

The authority plans to put further asylum seekers in reception accommodation at first and move them into permanent homes within six weeks, but private accommodation has had to be arranged for some people who arrived at the end of March, because there was no reception accommodation available at the time.

A report to be presented to the meeting goes on: "The Housing and Neighbourhood Services department is preparing other properties to be ready. All accommodation with be furnished and appropriately equipped."

The authority has entered into a contract with the government for the cost of housing asylum seekers following top level talks with Home Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.