LEGAL proceedings are being launched by Swale Borough Council in a bid to prevent Sittingbourne's Coniston Hotel being used as an induction centre for asylum seekers.

Chief executive Chris Edwards announced today that the council was instigating ground-breaking legal action which could ultimately make it illegal for asylum seekers to be put up at the hotel.

The council is acting on legal advice from a senior planning barrister and believes that an induction centre would represent a change of use under planning guidelines, and would require planning permission.

Mr Edwards said: "We hope that this will fire a serious warning shot across the bows of the Government. They say they can use hotels for this purpose without planning permission. Our legal advice says this is not the case.

"They may well have to reconsider their whole asylum policy on this."