Piddington in Oxfordshire votes to leave UK over asylum plans

Delivering the result, Susannah Parden, vice chair of the parish council said: “We are Piddington the village that roars.”

Following the result, council chair Tim McNally said: “This is an example of democracy in operation.

“We went into this village hall as the underdogs – we had a plucky idea.

“We have given a message to the world.”

Responding to the village saying it had “roared”, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told BBC Breakfast: “I think they have – we have heard it, we are listening.

“I do really understand that when changes are made that affect your community it can be very distressing.

“We inherited an enormous asylum backlog, we are processing claims much more quickly, we are removing people who don’t have the right to be here,” she said.

“Small boat crossing fell this summer for the first time in many years because of the action we have taken.

“While we get a grip on the asylum chaos that we inherited we do need to make sure that we live up to our obligations and house people coming to this country seeking safety.”

Tim Beader, Oxfordshire County Council leader, said: “I think what this shows is the Piddington campaigners have done an incredible job to highlight their concerns about the proposed asylum centre.

“This shows how strongly they feel about the proposal.

“It’s partially about the proposal itself, and partially about how the government has gone about this without engaging with the local community or looking at the feasibility of this site.

“It’s the wrong site for the local communities, for the asylum seekers themselves, and for the taxpayer.”