Overview
- Police in Dumfries, which confirmed the step on Wednesday, gave two teenage girls personal attack alarms after complaints they were photographed without consent by men staying at a nearby hotel.
- Officers said January enquiries into reports of men acting suspiciously found no offences, and a 19-year-old held on February 19 over a child-protection concern was later released without charge.
- Parents and tabloid reports allege men housed at the Mercure hotel gathered near a school during lunch, stared at pupils, and took photos, with some girls now avoiding the town centre at midday.
- The Mercure has drawn protests in recent weeks, and Scottish Conservative MSP Craig Hoy called the reports deeply alarming and urged the hotel’s closure.
- A Home Office spokesperson said the government is winding down hotel use for asylum seekers and plans to move people into basic accommodation, citing hotel numbers down about 20% in the past year and 45% from a prior peak.