The planned asylum centre near Bicester could double in size because the Government cannot find enough sites for others around the country, a councillor fears.

The Home Office said it had looked at more than 400 sites to house more of the controversial 750-person accommodation centres, but only two were suitable.

These were the surplus MoD land between Piddington and Arncott, where the Bicester centre will be built, and RAF Newton, in Nottinghamshire.

Other sites were unsuitable or too expensive, or landowners refused to sell.

Bicester town and district councillor Lawrie Stratford is worried that the lack of other suitable sites could lead to the the Bicester site being ex- panded in the future.

Mr Stratford said: "Once you have planning permission it is very easy to come back and say we want to make it a bit bigger. I think they could make a case for having twice as many people there.

"Based on the Government's action in other cases, for example the doubling in size of Bullingdon Prison, they will say there is a national need and they will increase its size. Local people are entitled to be suspicious."

Dionne Arrowsmith, co-founder of Bicester Action Group, which was set up to fight the Government's plans, agreed the site was big enough for expansion.

A Home Office spokesman said the search for other sites was continuing, but added: "It would be foolish of me to say that never ever in the future will there be 751 in the centre. Obviously these things are continually reviewed."

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