Piddington women ‘terrified’ as Home Office stonewalls GB News over asylum seeker rape guidance

The pamphlet told asylum seekers that both people must agree to have sex and consent cannot be given if someone is asleep, drunk, or unable to respond.

GB News sent the Home Office a Freedom of Information request to find out how much the pamphlet cost, the languages it was printed in and the number of copies distributed across the country.

The Home Office, which had initially promised a reply by September 17, had still not responded to GB News by October 9.

GB News received an automated response when it chased an update on September 30.

After the Home Office was approached for comment, its Freedom of Information team sent a word-for-word copy of the same email.

Piddington, a small Oxfordshire village home to just 350 people, has been fighting back against attempts to house 1,250 male asylum seekers at MoD Bicester.

Residents voted decisively to leave the UK in a symbolic vote to express their dismay at Labour’s plan.

However, allegations of the Home Office “covering up” the release of information on its consent guidance have fuelled further fears in Piddington.

Local resident Samantha Phillips told GB News: “If the migrants do not pose a threat, why was this leaflet produced?

“There are 133 women and 46 children in our village and we are terrified!”

Louise Brooker added: “The refusal to provide that information does not inspire confidence and, in my view, transparency is vital and would do far more to reassure communities than withholding answers.”

Deborah Walton also said: “Now the Home Office won’t even discuss the cost of its pamphlet or how many languages it was printed in.

“A Government is accountable to the public, this secrecy is very worrying.”

Tracy Clark also told GB News: “It’s just another example of the government giving unsubstantial platitudes versus providing hard evidence that the women of Piddington shouldn’t feel concerned about their safety during their normal daily lives.”

Meanwhile, Piddington resident Sandra Innes voiced scepticism about Labour’s strategy to tackle violence against women and girls.

“The pamphlet produced is just a tick-box exercise to say that they are educating these men as part of their VAWG strategy,” she said.

Paula Senior added: “As the Home Office refuses to disclose FOI regarding its own pamphlet, I can only conclude that they definitely have something very bad to hide.”

Deborah Swift said: “A seeming block on FOI information regarding sex and other crimes committed by immigrants just reinforces the veil of secrecy from the Government.”

The plight of the women of Piddington is now set to be debated in Parliament, GB News has also been told.

Shadow Women & Equalities Minister Joy Morrissey claimed her Labour counterpart Bridget Phillipson had refused to meet concerned women from Piddington.

She said: “Labour claim they want to protect women and girls but they’re doing nothing about all of these male migrants coming en masse.”

However, a source close to Ms Phillipson said no decision had been taken on use of the military base and engagement with local communities would be part of reaching that decision.

The People’s Channel is also aware that residents in Piddington have had their Freedom of Information requests rejected.

In one rejected request, which was shared with GB News, the Ministry of Justice told a Piddington resident that “complying with this request would impose a disproportionate and unjustified burden on departmental resources”.

GB News understands it will receive a response to its request at some point.

However, the response will arrive well after the September 17 deadline set when the request was made on August 20.

A Home Office spokesman said: “We expect everyone who comes to the UK to abide by our laws.

“If they do not, they will face consequences, including the refusal of their asylum claim and removal from the UK.”