Overview
- Surrey Police say a man in his 20s, an Afghan national, was arrested on suspicion of harassment outside Laleham Church of England Primary School on April 16 and is now detained under the Mental Health Act.
- He had been living in a Home Office‑supported shared house about 200 to 250 metres from the school, and a six‑person HMO licence application filed on February 4 was still under council review when the arrest happened.
- Spelthorne Borough Council says there was no prior notice or normal risk assessment before the placement, while the Home Office says the council was consulted.
- The dispute drew scrutiny at Prime Minister’s Questions, where MP Lincoln Jopp sought accountability and Keir Starmer said police are investigating and the asylum minister is reviewing the case.
- The council has asked for clearer safeguards and information‑sharing as the government shifts people from hotels to private HMOs, which can be created for up to six occupants without a change‑of‑use planning application.