Hotel that houses Channel migrants costing taxpayers £1.5m is EMPTY after being block-booked by Home Office

A HOTEL for Channel migrants is empty — after taxpayers forked out £1.5million to rent it.

The 162-room Holiday Inn Express was block-booked by the Home Office for five months, starting in November.

A Holiday Inn Express that was block-booked by the Home Office for Channel migrants is empty — after taxpayers forked out £1.5million to rent it

But councillors in Oxford object to it being used as an asylum centre.

A source said: “It’s staggering.

“Since the Government booking it’s been closed to the public with a skeleton staff.”

A Home Office source said it hopes to negotiate a lower rate for the hotel, attached to Oxford United’s Kassam football stadium.

Rooms usually start at £50 a night and have TVs and air con.

More than 18,000 migrants are in hotels throughout the country.

More than 18,000 migrants are in hotels throughout the country