Schoolgirls in a Scottish town have reportedly been given rape alarms by police after claims that asylum seekers from a nearby migrant hotel were photographing them during school breaks.
The Express understands officers in Dumfries handed the personal attack alarms to two teenage girls following reports that men housed at the Mercure hotel had been acting suspiciously near the school. A Police Scotland spokesman confirmed enquiries had taken place but said no offences were found to have been committed.
A mother whose daughter attends the school told reporters girls were now too frightened to walk through the town centre at lunchtime, with groups of men from the hotel gathering outside as pupils broke for lunch.
She is reported to have said: "Every single day these guys turn up just as the school is about to break for lunch and hang around just to perv on the kids.
"Some of the girls have stopped going into the town as they feel so unsafe. There have been suggestions that the men have made crude comments to some of the kids.
"The police need to get a grip on this and start patrolling the town during these times, but they don't.
"We cannot get to a position where the answer to this issue is to give schoolgirls rape alarms and hope they don't get attacked."
The Scottish Sun said its journalist observed approximately 15 men standing in the main shopping street during the school lunch hour, their attention fixed on the pupils nearby.
The moment lessons resumed and the children headed back inside, the group dispersed — with a fresh handful appearing again once the final bell rang.
Earlier this year a 19-year-old man living at the Mercure was arrested over a child protection concern. Charges were not pursued and he was freed.
The Mercure has also attracted demonstrations from far-right groups, with local critics arguing the protests have added another layer of tension to an already unsettled situation.
Scottish Conservative candidate Craig Hoy reportedly called for the hotel to be shut down.
"These reports are deeply alarming and reflect the fears of residents I have spoken with," he said in the report. "It is shocking that we have reached a point where girls have had to be given alarms to keep them safe from potential threats from migrants.
"Authorities must give locals urgent reassurance that they are robustly monitoring these individuals. It is time to close the asylum hotel in Dumfries to address concerns."
A Home Office contract brought asylum seekers to the Mercure in 2023. The arrangement was designed to accommodate single men.
The Home Office said: "This government is removing the incentives drawing illegal migrants to Britain. That is why we will close every single asylum hotel, moving asylum seekers into basic accommodation.
"The population in asylum hotels has fallen by nearly 20 per cent in the last year and by 45 per cent since the peak under the previous government."
Police Scotland was approached for comment by the Express via email.
