A massive campaign is being launched to persuade Tony Blair to think again on Government plans for an open-door accommodation centre for 750 asylum seekers near Bicester.

Bicester Action Group meets at Arnott with MP Tony Baldry to launch its poster campaign

Residents in Bicester and villages near the proposed site at Piddington are being asked to put up "PM Think Again" posters in their windows.

The idea came from a meeting of town, district and county councillors, Bicester Action Group and Bicester's MP, Tony Baldry, in Arncott village hall on November 6.

The meeting was called after Cherwell District Council's appeal against the Government's plans for the centre, on surplus MoD land, was thrown out by the Court of Appeal in October.

Dionne Arrowsmith, of Bicester Action Group, said: "It was a positive meeting. We would like all parish councils in the area and people in Bicester to help us.

"We will also support whatever district councillors decide when they consider on November 10 whether to appeal to the House of Lords over the Court of Appeal decision."

Another action group member, Sue Baxter, pointed out that the Home Office still had to get detailed planning approval for the centre from Cherwell - a process that could take months to complete.

Mr Baldry is also writing to the chief executives of organisations dealing with asylum seekers such as the Refugee Council and the Immigration Council suggesting they should send a combined letter to Mr Blair asking him to reconsider.

He added: "The idea is to remind the Prime Minister that since the centre was proposed, the situation has changed completely.

"The number of asylum seekers has dropped from around 80,000 people in three months to about 8,000. We shall also ask him to think again before spending millions of pounds of taxpayers money on a project the Conservatives would stop if they won the next General Election."