UP to 150 asylum seeking families will not be housed in Wyre Forest after intervention by district MP David Lock.

Home office minister Barbara Roche has taken the Lea Castle hospital site off a provisional list for a reception centre of asylum seekers after Mr Lock's request.

The MP who is a minister in the Lord Chancellor's department, which has joint responsibility with the Home Office for asylum seekers, asked for action after it was revealed Lea Castle was on the list.

He argued Wyre Forest did not have resident Albanian or Kosovan ethnic communities, the main applicants seeking asylum.

He also pointed out Lea Castle does not have good transport links, is isolated and the fabric of the building is not strong.

Mr Lock, who got the site taken off the list within hours of his request, said: "This combination of factors persuaded Barbara Roche that Lea Castle is not a proposal that should be looked into.

"This is a quick result helped by the fact the Lord Chancellor's Department and Home Office have joint responsibility for this.

"Being a minister in the Lord Chancellor's Department meant I had early access to the papers and was able to put forward a case."

The district council will still be expected to house about 30 families from as early as late August.

Mr Lock acted after Wyre Forest District Council leader Mike Oborski spoke out about the centre and said the district faced chaos in attempting to house asylum seekers because of "totally unrealistic" demands by the Government.

The MP said he was willing to discuss Mr Oborski's concerns that the Government was trying to make Wyre Forest responsible for matters outside its jurisdiction such as interpretation services and access to education, health and legal services.

Mike Oborksi said after an "extremely valuable" meeting with Mr Lock and Wyre Forest district councillors on Monday: "We are grateful Mr Lock has moved so fast on this issue. We also discussed the contract the council is being pushed into and we are sending a full written list giving details of our concerns which he will be taking up with the minister.

"A solution has to be found to the legal complexities but we were clearly speaking the same language."

Mr Oborski said there was also relief at latest information through West Midlands Local Government Association that the date for receiving 20 to 30 families into the Wyre Forest community looked like being the end of October rather than the end of August as originally feared.

Councillors had made clear they were prepared to take their responsibilities seriously but the arrangements had to be made sensibly and in a way that would not cripple local services.

He said the council was not at a point where it could identify where the families could best be placed. It would be the subject of negotiations with Wyre Forest Community Housing Association.