A firm contracted to provide asylum accommodation - including the controversial camp at Napier Barracks - has seen its profits surge once again.

Clearsprings Ready Homes, which manages the barracks in Folkestone as well as other housing across the country, has contracts with the Home Office which run until 2029 and are worth in the region of £1bn.

According to the company's latest annual report and financial statement filed at Companies House, profits leapt from £4.4m in 2021 to £28m this year.

The significant increase in profit was reflected in the dividend paid to its holding company, Clearsprings Management, which leapt from £7m to £28m.

Profits have soared, its report admits, on the back of record numbers of people arriving in the UK seeking to claim asylum.

"Demand for accommodation for asylum seekers has remained high throughout the year," its report states.

"This has been driven by an ever-increasing influx of asylum applicants to the UK due to high levels of political and economic turmoil in many countries."

The report goes on to say the firm is "well-placed" to benefit from future deals with the Home Office as the number of asylum seekers arriving is "expected to continue at a high level for the foreseeable future."

Napier Barracks is earmarked for closure before 2026, when the site is set to be redeveloped as housing by Taylor Wimpey.

Cllr Connor McConville, leader of the Labour party group on Folkestone and Hythe District Council, condemned the surging profits being made by Clearsprings from provision of accommodation for asylum seekers.

He said: "As shown previously Clearsprings are a company purely focused on maximising profit.

"They have no regard for providing a humanitarian service. They make millions while hardworking charities scrimp t0 help provide basic essentials for desperate people.

"The home secretary believes the immigration system is broken, it certainly is when companies such as Clearsprings Ready Homes can make such obscene profits on the backs of human suffering.

"Privatisation is not the answer and the government should use its own existing powers to provide the basic accommodation that is required."

Clearsprings declined to comment on the latest increase in profits and dividend paid to the holding company.