The Home Office is seeking planning permission to use RAF Barnham, about a mile from Thetford over the Suffolk border, to house the migrants while decisions are made on whether they are permitted to stay or deported.

But the plans have met opposition, with protests outside the base and high tensions in Thetford triggering a siege of a town council meeting.

Thetford's mayor, Vic Peters, addresses the crowd outside a highly-charged meeting of Thetford Town Council (Image: Supplied)

Reform-led Norfolk County Council has now joined the condemnation, saying the government never contacted it about its plans, despite the proximity of RAF Barnham to the county.

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