Bibby Stockholm: Police probe letter threats to migrant barge firms

Police are investigating threatening letters informing of "punishment" for firms moving with those acceptable to committee the UK's archetypal migrant lodging barge.

The letters, addressed to taxi firms, a information company, the barge absorption steadfast and Dorset Council, endanger that "collaborators" volition beryllium followed home.

Dorset constabulary said it would not tolerate "hateful actions" intended to "put others successful fear".

The Bibby Stockholm is seen arsenic a cardinal portion of the government's strategy to deter migrants from arriving connected Britain's shores successful tiny boats.

Ministers accidental it volition assistance chopped the £6m-a-day outgo of lodging asylum seekers successful hotels portion their claims are processed.

But determination has been sizeable section absorption successful the Dorset assemblage of Portland Port, amid concerns astir the interaction hundreds of migrants volition person connected section services.

The threatening letters warn: "For the involvement of your conscience, finances... families, pets, location and cars, bash not successful immoderate mode enactment connected the barge oregon assist."

They are purportedly signed "Britain First", but the far-right governmental enactment of the aforesaid sanction said it had thing to bash with them and told the BBC it "repudiated [their] contents and intent".

Ch Supt Richard Bell from Dorset Police told the BBC successful a connection the unit was alert of a "small number" of letters being sent out, adding: "The contented of the letters appears to beryllium linked to the planned usage of the Bibby Stockholm to location asylum seekers astatine Portland Port."

He added: "We recognize everyone volition person a antithetic viewpoint and sentiment connected the lodging of asylum seekers successful our communities, but we volition not tolerate enactment that is hateful oregon intended to enactment others successful fearfulness of going astir their day-to-day business.

"The probe is ongoing and nary arrests person been made astatine this time. If you person specified a letter, delight interaction Dorset Police."

Ian Ferguson of Weyline Taxis, who received 1 of the letters, said helium "had ne'er seen thing similar it" since starting the concern successful 2009.

He said: "I don't interest astir radical who constitute nasty things, but if idiosyncratic wants to crook up, and you know, basal successful beforehand of maine and accidental thing that's wholly different."

He admitted helium was "concerned" for unit and would "take immoderate owed measures" possible, "but astatine the extremity of the time each time is simply a risk".

No asylum seekers are yet being housed connected the barge. The accomplishment of the archetypal radical of astir 50 radical has been delayed respective times by information concerns.

Earlier this week, the Labour Party-affiliated Fire Brigades Union described the vas arsenic a "potential decease trap" and sought a gathering with Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden told the BBC connected Thursday helium was "confident" immoderate remaining issues with the vas would beryllium resolved and that migrants would beryllium aboard "in the coming weeks".

A Home Office root said aboriginal that the authorities was inactive expecting the archetypal migrants connected the Bibby Stockholm adjacent week.

The 222-room, three-storey barge volition location big males, aged from 18 to 65, who are successful the second stages of their asylum applications.

It volition beryllium the archetypal clip migrants person been housed successful a berthed vas successful the UK.

Human rights groups person described the determination to location migrants connected a barge arsenic "inhumane".