Neighbours are up in arms after a former old people's home was used as a hostel for refugees.

Oxfordshire County Council made emergency plans to house 28 refugees at Oseney Court, in Botley Road, Oxford, on Saturday night after the police told them they had been left at a service station on the M40.

The group of men, women and children were taken to the home after county officials were unable to find enough space for them elsewhere. The problem was exacerbated the following morning when reports filtered through that another 20 refugees had been left by another lorry at another service station in the county - and they were also taken to the building.

All have since been taken to stay with friends and relatives in other areas of the country.

Oseney Court was controversially closed by the cash-strapped council, and the last pensioners to live there left during the summer. Peggy Baxter, who lives nearby, said: "What frightens me, and others living here, is that this will be happening time and time again.

"They should never have closed Oseney Court to the elderly people in the first place, but we were told that it would not be used as some sort of hostel.

"The point is that they closed Oseney Court to our pensioners but open it up straight away when there are refugees."

Pat Puttock, another neighbour, agreed, adding: "Nobody wants to see them homeless but we do get the impression we have been hoodwinked by the council." Phil Hodgson, the county's assistant director of social services, said Oseney Court was used as an emergency measure on humane grounds.

He said the refugees were hungry and frightened about being in a strange country and needed somewhere to stay.

He added: "We placed them there as an emergency measure."

Story date: Wednesday 13 October

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