The first children seeking asylum have moved into Whitstable's Ladesfield centre.

A spokesman from Kent County Council said officials from the authority had placed four unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in the building "over the last day or so".

The former care home, in Vulcan Close, was earmarked as a temporary reception centre for 40 teenage migrants in July.

It will house 16- to 17-year-old boys.

The news comes as the vicar behind plans to mentor the asylum-seeking migrants says he reckons attitudes have changed in Whitstable.

The Rev Steve Coneys, of Seasalter Christian Centre, has offered support to the teenage boys.

He and other church leaders in the town have told KCC they are willing to mentor the 16- to 17-year-olds, by helping to befriend and support them.

When the plans to convert the former care home were announced in July, the move was met with backlash by parents of the nearby Joy Lane Primary School and Whitstable Day Nursery.

But Mr Coneys said: “It’s a big thing for people of our town to take on board and things like this take time for people to understand what is involved and what isn’t involved.

“It takes time for the myths to be dislodged and I think the overall impression is that the people of Whitstable as a whole are really standing up and wanting to help.

“Lots of people are offering to help; it’s really heart-warming actually.

“There have been lots of different views expressed but my sense is that there is a much deeper level of understanding.”

Mr Coneys met with KCC officials on Tuesday to discuss plans to support the asylum seekers.

Mother-of-three Joanna Smith, whose youngest son attends Joy Lane Primary School, says parents are still “unsure and upset” about the Ladesfield plans.

She said: “There’s definitely not an acceptance. People are still unsure and upset about it.

“What’s happened over the summer is that parents have gone ‘there is nothing we can do’ – KCC have made their decision and have implemented it.”

The 42-year-old added that a lot of parent anger voiced before the summer holidays had “died down”.

She said: “It’s a very difficult one; it’s very emotive. People are still upset but they feel there’s nothing they can do.

“A lot of anger has died down over the summer.

“People have stepped back and said let’s assess the situation when they move in and not make any rash decisions that could change any day.

“It hasn’t gone away – people haven’t forgotten about it.”