Plans to move a reported 1,500 asylum seekers into the historic headquarters of the Dambusters during World War II have been blasted as 'absolutely insane'.
The Lincolnshire base RAF Scampton, which has been earmarked by the council for a £300m regeneration scheme, was home to the 617 Squadron and has been used as a museum commemorating the achievements of the unit until recently. 
The site has also been touted as the North's 'biggest regeneration and levelling up project' after a £300m deal was struck last week to bring aviation, space, education and hospitality industries to the site - creating thousands of jobs. 
However, The Sun reports that plans are in the work to turn the base into a makeshift asylum detention centre as part of the government's attempts to ramp up deportation efforts. 
Elsewhere, Essex's Braintree District Council in Essex also confirmed it had been approached by the Department for Levelling Up to potentially allow the use of MPD Wethersfield as another asylum seeker centre.
The officer of the Dambuster's commanding officer, Sir Guy Gibson, is reportedly being stripped bare, Latest News along with the airbase's museum.  The Officers Mess is also set to be demolished.
RAF Scampton has reportedly been selected as an asylum seeker detention centre
Developers fear the new asylum centre would set the ambitious plans back
The base is currently home to an RAF museum commemorating the Second World War
The base was used by the infamous RAF 617 Squadron during World War Two
The development comes after it was reported that the Home Office was negotiating to secure two sites from the Ministry of Defence which would be used as asylum accommodation centres to reduce government spending on costly hotels.