A REFORM UK council has said it plans to spend £150,000 deploying security guards in response to “safety concerns” over “daily gatherings of asylum-seekers.”

Essex County Council said that the guards would patrol town and city centres in Braintree, Colchester and Chelmsford, though they will have no more power than any other member of the public to act against crime, with law enforcement still led by Essex Police.

The council cited “anecdotal evidence” of “a fear and perception of a risk of crime,” despite the Home Office saying there is no evidence of increased offending in town centres linked to asylum-seekers.

The move comes amid a government plan to expand nearby Wethersfield air base from 800 to 1,245 bedspaces housing asylum-seekers, some of whom travel to surrounding towns by bus.

The council’s proposal, costing £150,000 for a three-month trial, would be funded from a community improvement fund, with further investment required if extended.

Council leader Peter Harris called the induction process at the site “woefully inadequate,” particularly regarding “the expectations we have of acceptable behaviour toward women and girls.”

Stand up to Racism co-convener Sabby Dhalu said: “This is a Trump-style campaign to stir up division, fear, racism and terror and must be stopped.

“It is yet another example of why we must mobilise the vote against Reform UK and stop it from forming a government.”

Liberal Democrat MP Marie Goldman said: “Instead of stoking division in our community and handing over wads of taxpayer cash to a private security company, Reform UK should be giving the much needed resource to our local police force who are fully trained and have the power to enforce the law.”

A Labour spokesperson said: “This looks like yet another stunt from Reform — spending £150,000 of taxpayers’ money on a headline-grabbing scheme that their own paper admits gives private guards no more powers than any member of the public.

“This is what Reform do in power — chase stunts, fuel division and waste public money on gesture politics.”

A Home Office spokesperson said the government was “closing every asylum hotel and moving asylum-seekers into alternative accommodation,” while “reducing the burden on taxpayers, with asylum costs down by over £1 billion since the general election.”