More than 300 residents met last night to protest against plans to use a former old people's home as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers.

Last August, Oxfordshire County Council closed Oseney Court in Botley Road, Oxford, moving out 38 elderly residents.

This was despite a huge public protest, including a 10,000-name petition, calling for the home to be saved.

Since it closed, the county council has been forced to pay about £250 a day to security staff to ensure that it is not occupied by squatters. The annual bill is £91,000.

Now the county council is proposing to give 45 asylum seekers a temporary home at Oseney Court for 12 months.

Mike Biddulph, a county council spokesman on social services issues for the county council, said: "We are seeking planning permission to use Oseney Court for asylum seekers and that proposal will be put forward at the planning sub-committee on April 6. "This is not a case that old people were chucked out to make way for asylum seekers. The two decisions were completely separate.

"Oseney Court is available and the Government will pay."

Residents attending the protest meeting at West Oxford Community Centre in Binsey Lane called for Oseney Court to be made suitable again for the elderly.

County Councillor John Power said: "An international city with a population of 140,000 not having provision for the elderly in the city centre is a disgrace.

Botley Road resident Tim Norwood, who worked for the UN High Commission for Refugees for eight years, blamed the Government for not having a clear policy on asylum seekers.

But Janet Godden, Liberal Democrat councillor for Hinksey, said she hoped the plan to house asylum seekers at Oseney Court was successful.

Story date: Tuesday 21 March

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.