MORE than £4,000 has already been pledged by residents in and around Throckmorton in the fight against an asylum centre.

It promises to be a David and Goliath battle, with the government on the opposing side having already paid out more than £15m on the foot and mouth site, with a further £7m to be paid out over the next ten years, for monitoring and management alone.

MP Peter Luff acquired the figures, which do not include the future costs of a proposed asylum centre, from Defra minister, Eliot Morley.

Mr Luff now wants to know whether the huge costs suggest that fears concerning environmental issues were well founded, and whether they also put into perspective residents' claims for compensation.

He said: "If the government can find £22.6m just to build and operate the burial site, and heaven knows how much to build and operate the asylum centre, it must find the modest additional sums to buy the houses, and rebuild the ruined lives of my constituents."

At an Evesham Town Council meeting on Monday (10) members gave Throckmorton's residents their support.

Coun Ron Cartwright said: "We should oppose this from every angle and write to our MP and the Home Office."

Coun David Alesbury said: "It's a health and safety issue. We should not allow anyone to live there, whoever they are. It's next to a tip and a foot and mouth burial ground."

A minority of councillors however, warned against a 'knee jerk' reaction, before a full environmental impact assessment is carried out by Wychavon District Council.

The next public meeting, called by PACT (Protest at the Asylum Centre at Throckmorton), is taking place at Pershore High School tomorrow evening at 7.30pm.

Another is being called by MP Michael Spicer on July 12 at Pershore Civic Centre.

Detailed asylum centre plans for Throckmorton are not expected until the end of July.