Old Palace Lodge: extremist group urged to stay away from Dunstable public meeting as leaflets from Patriotic Alternative put through letterboxes

A public meeting over the situation at a Dunstable hotel has not been organised by an extremist group, the town’s MP has reassured residents.

Andrew Selous and town Mayor Cllr Liz Jones issued a statement after some residents received leaflets purporting to be from a far right group linked to recent protests.

Mr Selous, MP for South West Bedfordshire, and Cllr Jones said: “We want to reassure local residents that the meeting this Thursday evening, February 16 at 7.30pm in the Priory Church in Dunstable has been organised by us to answer questions about the current situation at the Old Palace Lodge and to look to its future as well. This is not a party-political meeting and it is certainly not being organised by any extremist group.

The meeting is being held after concerns were raised locally when the Old Palace Lodge closed suddenly in January after accepting a Home Office contract to house asylum seekers.

The statement added: "While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, we do not welcome extreme actions taken by groups from outside the town and ask that they do not come on Thursday night. The meeting is for local people to answer genuine concerns they may have. We completely understand the issues which have been raised and will do everything we can to address them.

“We are extremely grateful to the Rector and churchwardens of the Priory Church for kindly offering a large enough space to hold the meeting and for their live streaming of it. We are grateful to Bedfordshire Police who continue to provide reassurance.”

The Patriotic Alternative has urged readers of its website to attend the meeting and in an attack on the MP’s stance said: “The MP has displayed contempt for residents’ concerns by hurling the accusation that locals have failed to patronise the hotel.”

One resident who received the unsolicited leaflet said he believed it contained misleading, disputable and arguably racist comment.

“My main issue is the dangerous nature of the comment, and the likelihood it has in whipping up hatred and violence in our town,” he said.

A Police spokesman said Beds Police were working with event organisers, and officers will be carrying out patrols in the vicinity during the event.

The Patriotic Alternative, set up in 2019, described as a far right, white nationalist group, has been linked to disturbances in Knowsley and the Tate Gallery in recent days.