Children have been seen shouting for help from within a Kent immigration facility - prompting renewed calls for the site to be shut down.

The former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Manston was repurposed to process those hoping to claim asylum in the UK earlier this year.

Politicians have revealed it is currently holding two-and-a-half times its recommended capacity of people, while it is also reported individual hotel rooms could be booked in a bid to ease tensions at the Thanet facility.

And following a visit to the processing centre yesterday, campaign group SOAS Detainee Support (SDS) shared a video online in which youngsters can be heard calling: "We need your help."

In the Twitter post, the activists added: “Dozens of young children are being held at Manston detention camp in Kent.

“We went today and heard them chanting for their freedom.

“Mothers, fathers, children and babies from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere.

“This is persecution. Free them and close it down.”

Concerns have also been raised about the cramped and unhealthy conditions at the Ramsgate site.

At least least eight cases of diphtheria and a case of MRSA at Manston have been detected and one staff member has reported being sexually assaulted.

And North Thanet MP Sir Roger Gale says the centre is holding 4,000 migrants - two-and-a-half times its recommended capacity.

"These circumstances, I believe now were a problem made in the Home Office," the Conservative veteran told the Today Programme this morning.

"Whoever is responsible, either the previous home secretary, Priti Patel, or this one, Suella Braverman, has to be held to account."

The parliamentarian, who visited the site about five weeks ago, said the site was previously working, but that things have since taken a turn for the worse.

"It's now broken and it's got to be mended fast.

"A bad decision has been taken and this has led to a breach of humane conditions."

Despite this, 700 people were moved to the centre yesterday after a violent attack involving a man throwing petrol bombs rattled authorities at Dover’s Tug Haven immigration centre.

This came just hours after The Times reported Home Secretary Suella Braverman's refusal to move people from Manston to hotels led to outbreaks of diphtheria and scabies.

Government sources claim Ms Braverman only approved migrants being moved from the facility if there was room in other detention centres, or in accommodation provided by local councils or private contractors.

Home Office officials reportedly warned her detaining asylum seekers for more than four weeks would be in breach of the law.

The controversial call was made in an effort to reduce the expenditure of housing asylum seekers in hotels, which costs taxpayers £6.8 million per day.

The facility - which opened at the beginning of 2022 to replace Dover’s Kent Intake Unit - was intended accommodate people for up to 24 hours for security and medical checks.

The Home Office has confirmed a small outbreak of diphtheria, a highly contagious infection that is rare in the UK but can prove fatal if untreated.

But it has insisted the "basic needs” of food, fresh clothing, toilets, sanitary packs and medical care were still being met.

A Home Office spokesman said: “Manston is resourced and equipped to process migrants securely and we will provide alternative accommodation as soon as possible.”

Yesterday’s horrific scenes at Dover were witnessed by a Reuters news agency photographer, with video of flames lapping at hoardings around the site posted online.

The man was white, in a striped top and drove up to the centre in a white Seat sports utility vehicle, the witness said.

An army bomb disposal team attended to examine devices thrown at the wall of the port's Tug Haven facility, where asylum seekers are brought ashore before being taken to Manston for processing.

A fire service spokesman said: "Crews put out the fire at the scene. Our drone has also been flown as part of the operational response to this incident.

"We will continue to work alongside partner agencies at this ongoing incident."