THE immigration detention centre at Campsfield House in Kidlington must close, parish councillors have said.

Kidlington Parish Council’s policy and finance committee approved a motion on Thursday calling on the Government to close the 276-bed centre in Langford Lane.

Last month the Home Office announced it would not seek to expand the centre, after it had previously announced plans for a 290-bed extension.

The motion, proposed by council member Andrew Hornsby-Smith, said: “We are concerned about the impact on many of the detainees of prolonged detention, and call for the centre to be closed.

“The council will continue to support proposals for a change of land use that is more consistent with our vision of meeting local housing and employment needs, and will pursue a suitable such redevelopment with more recreational space on what is a previously-developed site.”

The centre, which opened in 1993, houses men who have been through the immigration process, are going through on appeal or are criminals awaiting removal from the United Kingdom.

The proposals to expand it led to opposition from Oxford University academics and politicians before they were abandoned by ministers.