Staff at Carmarthenshire hotel where asylum seekers are set to be housed ‘in shock’ after redundancy announcement
Staff at a hotel where asylum seekers are set to be housed from next month are “in shock” after a redundancy announcement.
Workers at Stradey Park Hotel & Spa in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, were told this week they face being made redundant on 10 July.
Sky News understands around 100 staff are employed at the hotel.
The Home Office confirmed at the beginning of June that a maximum of 207 people, made up of family groups, will be accommodated across 77 rooms at the hotel.
It insists it makes no decisions about hotel staffing directly.
‘They’re laying everybody off’
Victoria Price has worked at the hotel’s spa for around 15 months.
She told Sky News everyone was “in shock” when they heard staff would be made redundant.
“They called an emergency meeting in the hotel for yesterday (Tuesday) morning, we all went in,” she said.
“It was the two managers of the hotel there talking to us. The hotel manager – she had to hold the tears back you could see – and she just announced that they’re laying everybody off as from 10 July, even them are getting laid off.
“The owners of the hotel… they didn’t even come down to give the news themselves, they left it to the two managers who are also going to lose their jobs as well which is really sad.
“The whole of the staff upstairs were all waiting, nobody was looking for jobs, they were all sticking together, waiting ’til final last minute, hoping that they were going to get offered something or that they wouldn’t get left.
“It was just silence when they broke the news.”
Victoria Price, with her husband. Pic: Victoria Price
‘Disgraceful’
Llanelli MP Dame Nia Griffith said it was a “disgraceful and degrading way to treat the workers”.
The matter was raised in the Senedd (Welsh parliament) on Wednesday.
Plaid Cymru Senedd member, Cefin Campbell, said he was “alarmed” by reports that “around 100 jobs at the hotel will be lost as a direct result of the Tory UK government’s decision to take over the hotel for the purpose of housing asylum seekers”.
Mr Campbell said he was “extremely proud of the fact that Wales is a nation of sanctuary” but that the UK government’s hotels policy “does not serve the needs of asylum seekers”.
Jane Hutt, the Welsh government’s social justice minister, said: “I understand that up to 100 jobs are at risk as a result of the Home Office’s decision to use the Stradey Park Hotel.”
She added that the Welsh government was “monitoring this concerning situation closely”.
Carmarthenshire County Council leader, Darren Price, said he was “outraged that this proposal by the Home Office to concentrate a large number of asylum seekers is going ahead”.
The Home Office has previously said the use of hotels to house asylum seekers was “unacceptable” and said there were currently “more than 51,000 asylum seekers in hotels costing the UK taxpayer £6m a day”.
Rishi Sunak’s government is exploring a number of ways of housing asylum seekers, including a controversial barge to be moored off of the Dorset coast.
The prime minister’s promise to “stop the boats” was one of a number of pledges he asked the British people to judge him on at the start of the year.
But figures released this month show Channel crossings are still on the rise.
Jane Hutt, the Welsh government’s social justice minister. Pic: Senedd.TV
‘They’re going to destroy a community’
Stradey Park Hotel worker Ms Price said she was in a more fortunate position than others as she had managed to find employment elsewhere before the hotel’s closure.
“We’ve got an amazing manager in the spa with us and we just all rallied, we just looked for jobs, so all the spa girls got new jobs before. So we’re all leaving this week, it’s the last week for us now,” she said.
“Everybody has been brilliant and we’ve noticed now on the groups that a lot of the community, the businesses and things, are putting it out there ‘I’ve got jobs, I’ve got jobs’ so that shows what the community is.”
While the community have rallied around staff members, Ms Price said the Home Office should “hold their heads in disgrace”.
“They’re actually going to destroy a community, jobs, things like that,” she said.
“They haven’t got in touch with anybody, they won’t respond to anybody’s messages or anything either.
“You’ve got people like myself who has only been there about 14, 15 months, so we wouldn’t be entitled to redundancy pay or any kind of package or anything like that. Nothing has been put in place for any of the staff.”
Read more from Sky News:
Meal deals to be restricted to ‘tackle obesity’
Tributes to baby who died after crash outside hospital
A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “Hotel staffing decisions are at the discretion of the hotelier and contractors. The Home Office is not involved in these decisions.”
Sky News has approached Stradey Park Hotel & Spa for comment.
Former British heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua delivered a dose of reality to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul as he won their much-anticipated showdown.
Joshua scored three knockdowns before landing a huge right hit on Paul halfway through the sixth round.
The British fighter lifted Paul’s hand in a show of respect after the fight broadcast on the streaming platform Netflix.
Joshua landing the right hit that knocked out Paul. Pic: AP
“Jake Paul has done really well tonight. I want to give him his props, he got up, time and time again,” he said about his opponent.
Joshua said it “wasn’t the best performance”, adding: “It took a bit longer than expected. But the right hand finally found the destination.”
Joshua celebrating his win after the fight. Pic: Reuters
Meanwhile, Paul said: “I’m feeling good, that was fun. I love this sport. I gave it my all, It’s f****** crazy. I had a blast.
“I got my ass beat, but that’s what this sport is about. I’mma (going to) come back and keep on winning.”
He added: “I just got tired to be honest. He did amazing and hits really hard.”
Jake Paul was knocked down three times before the final knockout in the sixth round. Pic: Reuters
The fight marked the end of a 14-month hiatus for Joshua, 36, while for 28-year-old Paul it was the biggest fight since his boxing career began in 2020.
At the weigh-in on Friday, Joshua boasted an almost two-stone advantage over Paul, who has regularly fought at cruiserweight since he entered the world of boxing.
Britain’s two-time world heavyweight champion tipped the scales at 243.4lbs (17st 5lbs) for his fight against Paul in Miami, while Paul weighed in at 216lbs (15st 6lbs) – a hefty 1.9st difference.
Joshua, who could not weigh more than 245lbs, is the lightest he has been since his first fight against Oleksandr Usyk in September 2021 when he was 240lbs. For his last fight against Daniel Dubois he weighed 252.5Ibs.
Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua at the weigh-in. Pic: Reuters
It is also only the second time that Paul weighed in over cruiserweight limit – the other time was when he fought 58-year-old Mike Tyson. Paul defeated Tyson by unanimous decision with 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
UK
David Walliams dropped by publisher HarperCollins UK after allegations of inappropriate behaviour
UK
Family of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe pay tribute to ‘beautiful soul’ as teen appears in court charged with murder
The family of a nine-year-old girl stabbed to death have said she was a “beautiful soul” who was brave, kind-hearted and “always put a smile on people’s faces”.
Police were called to Lime Close in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, just before 6.10pm on Monday, where Aria Thorpe had suffered a single stab wound.
The child was pronounced dead at the scene.
In a tribute released by Avon and Somerset Police on Friday, the girl’s family on her mother’s side said: “For those who didn’t have the privilege of knowing Aria, she was the most beautiful little soul – happy-go-lucky, full of light, and joy.
“She loved to sing and dance, and she took such pride in dressing up, always wanting to look just like her mummy.”
Tom Thorpe, the girl’s father, said: “It’s hard to put into words how devastating it is, our little Aria, that you’re up there with the angels looking over us.”
It comes as a 15-year-old boy charged with Aria’s murder appeared in court.
Pic: Avon and Somerset Police
Aria was a ‘precious girl’
In their statement, Aria’s family on her mother’s side said her death “has devastated us beyond words”.
“Our hearts are broken in a way we never imagined possible,” they added.
“As a family, we are holding one another close and doing everything we can to support each other through this unimaginable time.”
They said they were “truly touched by the lovely messages we have received”, before asking “that our privacy is respected, as we try to come to terms with the terrible loss of our precious girl”.
Flowers laid in memory of the young girl
‘Wacky ways and outright madness’
Mr Thorpe said: “How sad it’s going to be not hearing ‘Dad, how long left?’ on our long journeys back and forth at weekends.
He then said that Aria was “such a brave, kind-hearted and a beautiful innocent soul”, and “always put a smile on people’s faces with your wacky ways and just outright madness”.
Mr Thorpe added: “Your other little family down here in Portsmouth will forever miss you.
“We’ll miss you begging to go outside, even in the pouring rain just to have as much fun as possible in the little time we had at weekends.
“You will be greatly missed, you special little angel. A life gone far too early but I hope a life lived well. We all love you dearly. Goodnight darling.”
Teenager in court
Meanwhile, a 15-year-old boy charged with Aria’s murder appeared at Bristol Crown Court on Friday, where he was remanded.
The teenager, who cannot be named because of his age, was arrested in the Somerset village of Worle at 6.19pm on Monday.
He is next due in court on 16 March 2026. Appearing via video link from youth detention accommodation, he spoke only to confirm his name.
Judge Peter Blair KC set a provisional trial date for 15 June during the hearing.
-
Sports2 years agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment3 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment1 year agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024