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7:47pm Sunday 15th June 2008
Fresh calls to sort out the running of the controversial Campsfield House immigration detention centre were made tonight after the fourth outbreak of violence in just over a year.
Fires were started inside the centre and sources said about 20 detainees staged a rooftop protest.
Managers were forced to call in more than 200 prison officers, police, firefighters and paramedics to help them regain control on Saturday.
It was the fourth incident in 16 months at the centre, in Langford Lane, Kidlington, which is run by private firm GEO.
A group of about 100 specially-trained prison officers in full riot gear - known as Tornado teams - went into the centre to restore order.
None of the detainees got out of the centre during the disturbance, but two people were treated for minor injuries, including smoke inhalation, by paramedics.
Detainees were locked in an exercise yard where they could be heard shouting and banging on the 25ft-high metal fence.
Tonight, campaigners and local MP Evan Harris said the continuing outbreaks of violence showed something needed to be done.
Dr Harris, the Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, said: "This is the fourth reported disturbance in the past 16 months and suggests there is something seriously wrong, either with the Home Office systems or the management of the centre."
Gill Baden, of the Campaign to Close Campsfield, said she wasn't surprised there had been another disturbance.
She said: "I don't know what sparked it off this time.
"Normally, it has been to do with someone being removed forcibly, when they have documents showing they still have an appeal or judicial review.
"We heard a fire was started in the education section and the training room and people were very frightened and people were on the roof.
"We want the whole of the detention system for immigrants stopped."
A UK Border Agency spokesman said a review of the incident would now be held. He said: "The relatively small disturbance at Campsfield has now been resolved peacefully and quickly.
"It was instigated by a small number of individuals determined to frustrate removal.
"They will not succeed and we are considering prosecution."
He could not confirm who would pick up the bill for yesterday's operation.
Trouble broke out at the controversial centre - which holds up to 215 men - just before 2pm.
There was a small amount of damage in one block but not enough to force detainees to be moved.
Thames Valley Police spokesman Rachel McQuilliam said about 50 officers, including dog handlers and the force helicopter, were sent, while others were drafted in for "high-visibility reassurance patrols" in surrounding streets today.
Evenlode Crescent resident David Pitman, 41, said during a disturbance at the centre last summer he chased a detainee down the road.
The father-of-two said: "It has made me more concerned for the children but it has got to be on someone's doorstep. They have to be detained, otherwise this country will be inundated with people coming in from abroad."
And Bill Smith, 50, also of Evenlode Close, said he would like to see the centre closed.
He said: "It has happened before and it will happen again. I can understand why they try to come here but the country is like an over-full rowing boat and it just can't take it any more."
No-one from GEO was available for comment.
Terry Chandler, says...
11:35pm Sun 15 Jun 08
BNP and Proud, Marston says...
11:43pm Sun 15 Jun 08
GET IT SORTED, says...
12:09am Mon 16 Jun 08
Dave, Oxford says...
11:01am Mon 16 Jun 08
David, wantage says...
11:12am Mon 16 Jun 08
Dave wrote:So, Dave, how motivated, aspirational and often highly educated does someone need to be to trash their own and other residents accommodation?
If we released the motivated, aspirational and often highly educated inmates at Campsfield and deported the lazy stupid racists in the BNP everybody would be a lot happier, although I accept that this is like dumping your rubbish on the rest of the world.
alan page, says...
11:16am Mon 16 Jun 08
Dave wrote:I am given to understand that these bloated BNP supporters are busily deporting themselves abroad anyway, so there's no real need.
If we released the motivated, aspirational and often highly educated inmates at Campsfield and deported the lazy stupid racists in the BNP everybody would be a lot happier, although I accept that this is like dumping your rubbish on the rest of the world.
alan page, says...
11:19am Mon 16 Jun 08
Stacey wrote:I live on a council estate here so I have as much right to laugh at your tirades as I have the stockbrokers here.
Um Alan - don't you live in Surrey now?? Surely the most middle class white county in the country. Perhaps you should start there instead of subjecting the people of Oxford to your crass comments
alan page, says...
11:23am Mon 16 Jun 08
David wrote:What crime have these people committed to be held like this?
Dave wrote: If we released the motivated, aspirational and often highly educated inmates at Campsfield and deported the lazy stupid racists in the BNP everybody would be a lot happier, although I accept that this is like dumping your rubbish on the rest of the world.So, Dave, how motivated, aspirational and often highly educated does someone need to be to trash their own and other residents accommodation? The BNP may have some strange ideas, but these people are just ungrateful, they are being held in what is probably the best custodial system in the world for legitimate reasons by a caring society and they repay us by costing us money. Something\'s not quite right here.
alan page, says...
11:30am Mon 16 Jun 08
Stacey wrote:Besides nobody in Surrey is behaving as ludicrously and spouting such hilarious gibberish as the people in Oxford at the moment.
Um Alan - don't you live in Surrey now?? Surely the most middle class white county in the country. Perhaps you should start there instead of subjecting the people of Oxford to your crass comments
Jill, Oxford says...
12:01pm Mon 16 Jun 08
alan page, says...
12:04pm Mon 16 Jun 08
frank, oxford says...
12:12pm Mon 16 Jun 08
harold, says...
12:38pm Mon 16 Jun 08
David, wantage says...
1:38pm Mon 16 Jun 08
alan page wrote:No, they would be thieving.
David wrote:What crime have these people committed to be held like this?
Dave wrote: If we released the motivated, aspirational and often highly educated inmates at Campsfield and deported the lazy stupid racists in the BNP everybody would be a lot happier, although I accept that this is like dumping your rubbish on the rest of the world.So, Dave, how motivated, aspirational and often highly educated does someone need to be to trash their own and other residents accommodation? The BNP may have some strange ideas, but these people are just ungrateful, they are being held in what is probably the best custodial system in the world for legitimate reasons by a caring society and they repay us by costing us money. Something\'s not quite right here.
Lets face it with people like you they can't win.
If they secure jobs and pay taxes, they are accused of theiving "white man's work", if they claim the dole they are theiving scroungers.
The only crime I can see them being guilty of is being foreign.
Steve, Oxford says...
2:09pm Mon 16 Jun 08
John x, Kidlington says...
2:44pm Mon 16 Jun 08
Alfred, Oxford says...
3:39pm Mon 16 Jun 08
John x wrote:Hooray - The voice of reason - I am sick to death of the left wing race police bleating on how all whites must be racists - there are more racist foul mouthed forigners then whites - but enough is enough - ethnics are filling the prison service to bursting point - Gun crime , rape , drugs , prostitution - round them all up , give em each 50 k to f**ck off and if they wont , kick them out anyway - and this is the most anoying part - HEy Mr Politician You Fat C**t we live on an Island - so how do the worthless sucm get here in the first place - VOTE Lib DEM - The only voice of reason left
You lot are missing the point here. The people detained at Campsfield house are either:- 1. Convicted foreign national criminals awaiting deportation. 2. Failed asylum seekers awaiting deportation. 3. Failed asylum seekers who are appealing against their deportation orders. So no sob stories please.... Jusrt get rid of the trash...........
alan page, says...
4:33pm Mon 16 Jun 08
David wrote:Yes, ad hominen works every time.
alan page wrote:No, they would be thieving. Your comments are vacuous, but thank you anyway.David wrote:What crime have these people committed to be held like this? Lets face it with people like you they can\'t win. If they secure jobs and pay taxes, they are accused of theiving \"white man\'s work\", if they claim the dole they are theiving scroungers. The only crime I can see them being guilty of is being foreign.Dave wrote: If we released the motivated, aspirational and often highly educated inmates at Campsfield and deported the lazy stupid racists in the BNP everybody would be a lot happier, although I accept that this is like dumping your rubbish on the rest of the world.So, Dave, how motivated, aspirational and often highly educated does someone need to be to trash their own and other residents accommodation? The BNP may have some strange ideas, but these people are just ungrateful, they are being held in what is probably the best custodial system in the world for legitimate reasons by a caring society and they repay us by costing us money. Something\\\'s not quite right here.
alan page, says...
4:35pm Mon 16 Jun 08
John x wrote:I presume you work there and know this first hand?
You lot are missing the point here. The people detained at Campsfield house are either:- 1. Convicted foreign national criminals awaiting deportation. 2. Failed asylum seekers awaiting deportation. 3. Failed asylum seekers who are appealing against their deportation orders. So no sob stories please.... Jusrt get rid of the trash...........
Gordon Ramsey, Kidlington says...
4:36pm Mon 16 Jun 08
alan page, says...
4:39pm Mon 16 Jun 08
John x wrote:You clearly have no idea what detention centres are about, why they exist and who they actually hold.
You lot are missing the point here. The people detained at Campsfield house are either:- 1. Convicted foreign national criminals awaiting deportation. 2. Failed asylum seekers awaiting deportation. 3. Failed asylum seekers who are appealing against their deportation orders. So no sob stories please.... Jusrt get rid of the trash...........
Mr Ison, England says...
4:44pm Mon 16 Jun 08
alan page, says...
4:54pm Mon 16 Jun 08
frank wrote:Sorry, who has lost their individuality. I certainly haven't and I spent 10 years in Brum.
the level of a persons knowledge is not a measurement you can take, or pre judge just by reading a singular comment on a local newspapers website We are a \"soft touch\" for any of the illegal immigrants, and many of them at campsfield are habitual criminals, who would think nothing of seriously harming some of your children / brothers / sisters for a few quid when we have lost all individuality in our homeland, when we have no culture of our own left, then finally you will see, that over the coarse of generations we are being brainwashed...the children only fed information from which they are unable to fathom an educated idea , from rubbish information you can only make a rubbish ideas...this is how it is done, the government and diplomacy is also the art of truth bending with clever wording, the only problem is it can only last so long before a war as Tom up there pointed out By the way im not a racist......i enjoy different cultures, this is why im SO ANGRY because our culture is being wiped out, and so i want to protect what culture we have, our community spirit is at an all time low....ppl are scared, walk down the road to get ytour morning paper, say \"good morning\" to someone you pass and your now more likely to get abused than to get a return good morning.....
Alan, Oxford says...
6:06pm Mon 16 Jun 08
christine, cowley says...
6:50pm Mon 16 Jun 08
O A P, oxford says...
7:07pm Mon 16 Jun 08
David, wantage says...
7:23pm Mon 16 Jun 08
alan page wrote:If you go around using Latin all the time, it's small wonder you can't spell English words.
David wrote:Yes, ad hominen works every time.
alan page wrote:No, they would be thieving. Your comments are vacuous, but thank you anyway.David wrote:What crime have these people committed to be held like this? Lets face it with people like you they can\'t win. If they secure jobs and pay taxes, they are accused of theiving \"white man\'s work\", if they claim the dole they are theiving scroungers. The only crime I can see them being guilty of is being foreign.Dave wrote: If we released the motivated, aspirational and often highly educated inmates at Campsfield and deported the lazy stupid racists in the BNP everybody would be a lot happier, although I accept that this is like dumping your rubbish on the rest of the world.So, Dave, how motivated, aspirational and often highly educated does someone need to be to trash their own and other residents accommodation? The BNP may have some strange ideas, but these people are just ungrateful, they are being held in what is probably the best custodial system in the world for legitimate reasons by a caring society and they repay us by costing us money. Something\\\'s not quite right here.
I am pleased you find my comments "vacuous", I would hate to think you would agree with me.
alan page, says...
9:22pm Mon 16 Jun 08
David wrote:"Excuse me please where is the toilet?"
alan page wrote:If you go around using Latin all the time, it's small wonder you can't spell English words. Try borrowing an English phrase book from one of your Johnny foreigner pals.David wrote:Yes, ad hominen works every time. I am pleased you find my comments "vacuous", I would hate to think you would agree with me.alan page wrote:No, they would be thieving. Your comments are vacuous, but thank you anyway.David wrote:What crime have these people committed to be held like this? Lets face it with people like you they can\'t win. If they secure jobs and pay taxes, they are accused of theiving \"white man\'s work\", if they claim the dole they are theiving scroungers. The only crime I can see them being guilty of is being foreign.Dave wrote: If we released the motivated, aspirational and often highly educated inmates at Campsfield and deported the lazy stupid racists in the BNP everybody would be a lot happier, although I accept that this is like dumping your rubbish on the rest of the world.So, Dave, how motivated, aspirational and often highly educated does someone need to be to trash their own and other residents accommodation? The BNP may have some strange ideas, but these people are just ungrateful, they are being held in what is probably the best custodial system in the world for legitimate reasons by a caring society and they repay us by costing us money. Something\\\'s not quite right here.
BNP and Proud, Marston says...
10:50pm Mon 16 Jun 08
Terry Chandler, says...
1:00am Tue 17 Jun 08
alan page, says...
5:14am Tue 17 Jun 08
BNP and Proud wrote:Talking of prats, aren't you the one who I manage to rip the **** out of posing as "residents, Oxford" on another thread?
Let's hope you get mugged by a Romanian cash-point thief then, you ignorant scumbag! Since these third world scum came to Britain there has been a humongous rise in crime. I take it you don't read newspapers? Turn off the liberal BBC now and get out more you funny creature. People, I suggest we release a car full of Muslim terrorists into this prat's home!
alan page, says...
6:40am Tue 17 Jun 08
Terry Chandler wrote:Er no I don't actually. Far too bourgeois for me.
Alan Page loves George Galloways bottom. The leftie tw*at enemy of England.
Annie, Newcastle says...
10:01pm Thu 19 Jun 08
Sandra, says...
2:48pm Fri 20 Jun 08
Sandra, oxford says...
5:56pm Fri 20 Jun 08
David Pitman and daughter Jenny, six
Bill Smith, who lives near Campsfield House
A police helicopter hovers over the centre during the riot
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helen, london says...
11:23pm Sun 15 Jun 08