Parents at Laleham Church of England Primary School in Surrey said an Afghan asylum seeker repeatedly loitered outside the school and approached female pupils. A group of mothers confronted the man, who allegedly spat at them. According to parents, the man told them: 'I'm allowed to stand where I want - I paid £3,000 to be here.'
Surrey Police arrested the man and detained him under the Mental Health Act after he ignored warnings, police said. The man, believed to be in his early 20s, is thought to have mental health issues, according to the Daily Mail. The specific charges, if any, have not been confirmed.
The man was placed in a nearby house with five other migrants, a Daily Mail investigation found. A businessman bought a £500,000 three-bedroom cottage in Laleham and turned it into a six-roomed hostel for migrants, the investigation reported. The Home Office moved a group of male migrants into the property, according to the Daily Mail. The property was a 1920s semi-detached home bought for £500,000 by a private landlord, the Daily Express reported.
Residents and local councillors said they were not informed about the placement of asylum seekers in the house of multiple occupancy (HMO). Spelthorne Borough Council said it had not been informed or consulted about the arrivals. The council wrote to the Home Office seeking an explanation and assurance that this will not happen again. Because the buildings were already residential properties, planning permission is not required for HMO conversion, the Daily Express reported.
The exact nature of the man's alleged mental health issues remains unclear. It is also unknown how many migrants are currently housed in the Laleham property. The Home Office has not yet responded to Spelthorne Borough Council's letter.