HOMEOWNERS living near the asylum seekers' centre site in Throckmorton fear they could be left with nothing as property prices continue to plummet.

Furious villages have accused the Government of cashing in on the damage it has already caused to the picturesque hamlet after it sanctioned the burial of 130,000 carcases during the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Those living in the village have reacted with dismay to yesterday's news that Asylum Minister Lord Rooker had selected the village's former RAF airfield for a 750-bed holding centre.

Patricia Green said she believed houses in the village had no chance of being sold because of the burial pits, and accused the Government of taking advantage of village's tarnished reputation.

Burial site

"Because of the burial site, people aren't interested in buying our properties," she said.

"Now we're being told the camp is to be set up here.

"The Government knows it's affected the desirability of the area through the burial site and has decided it might as well put the camp here because they can't offend us any more than they have."

Estate agents are now bracing themselves for the slump in house prices they feared after the Evening News revealed in March that a flurry of properties had gone on the market.

"The houses on my road are facing financial ruin because of the burial site, but the asylum camp could now affect the rest of the village and a lot more people in the area," Mrs Green said.

Steve Osborne, who owns Bishampton Stores, said he was "disheartened" with yesterday's decision.

"It's still got to go through the planning application, rejection and appeal stage so I'm not tearing my hair out yet," he said.

"I'd be very worried now at any of the other sites, because if they're likely to build here, where we have a good excuse, then nowhere's going to be safe."

Villager Richard Mott, a firefighter, warned the villages' unsuitable facilities and transport systems would make the camp a "disaster".

"There isn't the infrastructure here, nor the facilities for so many people," he said.

"The site is going to be bigger than the village and the people in it may not be able to speak English. Putting them here would be a disaster for both them and us."

Disorder

Another villager, who did not want to be identified, said he feared the camp could spark disorder.

"There are going to be young males wandering around looking for things to do, which could end up with them getting into trouble," he said.

"But this isn't a problem for Throckmorton alone. Businesses and people living in Evesham and Pershore, as well as Bishampton and Wyre Piddle, could also be seriously affected."