A man thought to be one of the asylum seekers being housed at the Crowborough Army Training Camp has been arrested on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) confirmed that a man in his 20s was arrested on 10 July but stressed the pictures were not of children in Crowborough. For legal reasons they wouldn’t comment further.
News of the arrest was not shared with local representatives, prompting an angry response from Crowborough Deputy Mayor, Cllr Peter Bucklitsch, and the council.
Cllr Bucklitsch said the council had been forced to seek clarifications from the NCA over the worrying incident after being met with “dismissive responses and a failure to engage meaningfully” by the Home Office.
He said: “I am angry and deeply frustrated that Crowborough has once again been let down (by the Home Office).
“Our residents have every right to expect that when a serious incident occurs at the army camp, their elected representatives will receive sufficient information to reassure the public and respond to legitimate concerns. Instead, we have been met with dismissive responses and a failure to engage meaningfully with our community.”
Cllr Bucklitsch added: “We were not asking for operational details – simply confirmation that an incident had occurred so that we could reassure residents and help prevent unnecessary rumours and speculation.
“Time and again we have been told that engagement with the community is a priority, yet when significant events take place, those commitments appear to count for very little. That is simply not good enough.
“The people of Crowborough deserve honesty, transparency and accountability. They deserve a Home Office that takes their concerns seriously rather than hiding behind bureaucracy and leaving an information vacuum to be filled by rumour and speculation.
A spokesperson for the council said it was “deeply disappointed by the Home Office’s continued lack of transparency and meaningful engagement with local representatives.
“Despite repeated assurances that local partners would be kept informed in order to reassure the public and counter misinformation, we continue to receive little or no information about significant incidents affecting our community. The Home Office’s dismissive approach undermines public confidence and leaves both the Town Council and Crowborough residents feeling ignored and unsupported.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “This is an extremely concerning report and the NCA has our full support in its investigation.”
He added the Home Office did not routinely comment on individual cases. However, it was “working closely and routinely with Sussex Police to ensure appropriate security arrangements are in place for the safety and security of the wider community and asylum seekers”.