Extra police and firefighters are still being drafted in at Campsfield House Detention Centre, in Kidlington to tackle on on-going disturbance.

Shortly after 6.20am, 35 firefighters were called to the immigration centre in Langford Lane, together with police and paramedics.

It is understood that detainees threatened to set fire to the premises after on detainee was removed by officials during the early hours so that he could be deported.

The emergency services were joined throughout the morning by Home Office prison officers carrying riot shields and, shortly before 11.30am, two more fire engines and one fire service vehicle carrying a skylift were called to the centre. They were accompanied by three police vans and another vehicle containing a dog-handlers unit.

John Nixon, from Oxfordshire Fire Service, said: "There is no fire at the moment but there is an ongoing incident. This is not a false alarm."

Residents who live in Evenlode Crescent near the centre say they would like the unit to be closed.

One woman, who asked not to be named, said: "I have lived here for 10 years and until now this place never bothered me. But there have been repeated incidents this year and a lot of my neighbours have told me they want Campsfield to be closed."

Bob Hughes, a spokesman for the campaign to close Campsfield, said: "This place is an affront to British decency and British values and all places like it should be closed."