A thousand residents took to the streets today to protest plans to house hundreds of migrants in a Sussex town's former army barracks.

Around 540 male asylum seekers are set to move into the cadet camp as early as this month as part of a government plan to reduce the number of hotels it uses to house them.

This is the ninth Sunday since the plan was announced in October that furious residents marched in opposition to the idea.

Around 1,000 people form the town gathered at the No8 Crowborough Army Cadet Centre at 10am on this icy morning for the latest march around the town.

Community group members have said the Home Office 'hasn’t engaged' or given any answers to their grievances, adding that housing the migrants here would be 'inhumane' because there is asbestos present.

Twenty police officers were on hand, including a video surveillance unit, to guide the march from the camp into the town centre.

The local Wealden District Council has joined a community backed legal challenge led by Crowborough Shield to force a full judicial review on the Home Office's plans to house migrants into the town.

The community group has raised more than £87,000 for legal fees and says they are angry about the lack of transparency and consultation on the Government's decision.

This is the ninth consecutive Sunday that marches have stormed through Crowborough since the Home Office announced the plan for migrants in October

Around 20 police officers were on standby to guide the protests from the camp into the town centre

Particular concern is focused around the effect the migrants will have on infrastructure, health services, policing and staffing at the camp. 

Kim Bailey, director of Crowborough Shield, said: ‘We are continuing to protest because the Home Office hasn’t backed down, it hasn’t engaged with us or given us the answers to any of our concerns.

‘They are listening so we will continue to exercise our democratic right to protest to ensure we are heard. We are not backing down.

’It is also inhumane to house migrants in barracks which has asbestos in it, Legionnaire’s Disease is known to be there and has lead paint on the walls. That isn’t compassionate.’

Alex De Warrenne, who is also a director, said: ‘No one is going to give up on this. We are fully united across the town about what we think about this, the impact it will have on infrastructure such as doctors and dentists.

‘There are multiple reasons why this site is not suitable. The Home office hasn’t carried out the necessary checks to ensure this plan is safe for the people of the town but also safe for the people they are going to house there.’