WYRE Forest will not be asked to take asylum seekers in the near future, according to a council chief, who welcomed news they would probably be sent to metropolitan areas across the West Midlands.

It was expected that the district would receive between 20 and 30 families by the end of this month but a Government decision to cut down the numbers dispersed throughout the country has forced a rethink.

Councillor Mike Oborski, leader of Wyre Forest District Council, said a "considerable amount" of time and effort had been put in to pave the way for the imminent arrival of the asylum seekers before the u-turn.

He explained: "Due to reductions in the numbers of asylum seekers that are being dispersed throughout the country on Government orders the council has now been informed that we will not be required to take asylum seekers in the foreseeable future.

"Any asylum seekers dispersed to the West Midlands are likely to go to the metropolitan areas, such as Birmingham and Wolverhampton, which are far better placed to meet their needs."

Mr Oborski added: "Over the last few months our officers have put a considerable amount of time and effort into working with the county council, other district councils in Worcestershire, the health authority, West Mercia Police, Wyre Forest Community Housing and voluntary sector agencies to identify suitable accommodation and support services."

He claimed the district council had "done everything possible to co-operate" but that the demands the Government was trying to "force" upon district councils were "unrealistic and impossible to achieve".

"I think that central Government has at least seen sense in agreeing to disperse asylum seekers only to metropolitan areas which already have adequate facilities to cope," he said.