An Afghan asylum seeker has been arrested after allegedly harassing girl pupils and parents at Laleham Church of England Primary School in Surrey, according to parents and multiple reports. The migrant, in his early 20s and believed to have mental health issues according to unnamed sources, was arrested weeks after being moved into a house in Laleham, Surrey. Parents reported that he was seen hanging around the school at pick-up and drop-off times, leaning against a wall and peering over the fence into the school grounds.
According to parents, the migrant allegedly spat at a group of parents who rebuked him. One mother, Rebecca, told Daily Mail - News that when a mother asked him what he was doing, he became abusive and said he was allowed to stand where he wanted because he had paid £3,000 to be there. Rebecca described him as aggressive only towards women, not men, and said he would react angrily when spoken to by women. She added that he had watched her and her children walk home multiple times, causing parents to panic.
I was with a group of mothers when one went to speak to him and ask him what he was doing. He became abusive and he told her 'I'm allowed to stand where I want. I paid £3,000 to be here.' It sounded like a joke when he said it. He was suggesting he had the right to do whatever he chooses as he had paid the money to come to this country. He went on saying 'I live here. I'm relaxing'.
The hostel where the migrant was staying is a six-roomed house of multiple occupation (HMO) located 200 yards from the primary school. A businessman bought a £500,000 three-bedroom cottage in Laleham and converted it into the hostel for male migrants. Residents and local councillors said they were not informed about the placement of asylum seekers in the HMO, raising concerns about community notification procedures.
It remains unclear what specific charges the migrant was arrested on, his full name, and his asylum status. The claim that he paid £3,000 to be in the UK has not been verified, and it is unknown what that payment refers to. The nature of his mental health issues and whether he was receiving treatment are also unknown. Additionally, it is not clear what actions, if any, the school or police took before the arrest.
He was hanging around the school all the time. When it was pick up and drop off time he would be waiting there, leaning against the wall. He would stand in the same place as if he was waiting for someone to pick him up. Parents started to panic. He was aggressive when you spoke to him if you were a woman. He would react angrily and be abusive.
We were all very concerned. I knew he knew where we lived. He had watched me and the kids walk home so many times. I knew he had watched me and my husband in his car.
My husband was with another dad who went to talk to the school about it. When he was leaving he saw the man standing there peering over the fence looking into the school. They went to speak to him about it and he said nothing and went back to the hostel. It was only women he got angry with.