That Commercial Hotel rumour going round Cleator Moor? The MP says it's not true MP says rumour about the former Commercial Hotel in Cleator Moor is untrue
Marra Mode is how your mate would tell you down the pub over a pint. Switch it off for the straight version.
If you've seen posts saying the old Commercial Hotel in Cleator Moor is being used to house asylum seekers, the MP's checked with the company that does the housing and says there's nothing in it.
If you live in Cleator Moor you've maybe seen it doing the rounds online: posts saying the old Commercial Hotel on High Street is going to be used to house asylum seekers.
The MP for Whitehaven and Workington, Josh MacAlister, says it's not true. On Tuesday 10 November he said Serco, the company that sorts asylum housing across the North West, had told him straight that there are no plans for the building.
He told the Whitehaven News that stories like this pop up "quite regularly" about different places in West Cumbria. "They are never true," he said. "They're being shared by people who want to whip up community tensions."
He said there are roughly 50 people waiting on asylum decisions living in private homes across West Cumbria at any one time, "not in hotels or social housing". And he added: "Serco are not purchasing any more properties in our area. And the numbers are not going up."
We've been here before. Back in August, posts claimed a busload of people had been dropped at the Cumberland Hotel in Workington in the middle of the night. The MP and Serco said then that there were no plans for that hotel either.
Across the country, the Government's promised to stop using hotels for asylum housing, and the fact-checkers at Full Fact say the number of people in them dropped by 46 per cent between June 2024 and June 2026.
What to do: before you hit share on a post about a building round here, look for someone named who can be checked, like the MP, the council or the company involved. The MP's asked folk to let anyone passing this one on know it's not true. Got a question about what's happening with the building? You can get in touch with his office through the UK Parliament website.
Whitehaven and Workington MP Josh MacAlister says social media claims that the former Commercial Hotel on High Street, Cleator Moor, will house asylum seekers are false, and that Serco has confirmed there are no such plans.
This is for people in Cleator Moor who have seen posts on social media about the former Commercial Hotel on High Street, and anyone trying to work out what is true.
Claims have been circulating online that the empty former hotel is to be used to house asylum seekers. Josh MacAlister, MP for Whitehaven and Workington, said on Tuesday 10 November that the claim is untrue. He said Serco, the company responsible for housing asylum seekers in the North West, had confirmed to him that there are no such plans for the building.
Speaking to the Whitehaven News, Mr MacAlister said similar stories circulate "quite regularly" about different places around West Cumbria. "They are never true," he said. "They're being shared by people who want to whip up community tensions."
He said roughly 50 people awaiting decisions on asylum claims live in private accommodation in West Cumbria at any one time, "not in hotels or social housing". He added: "Serco are not purchasing any more properties in our area. And the numbers are not going up."
It is not the first rumour of this kind. In August, posts claimed people had been brought by bus overnight to the Cumberland Hotel in Workington. Mr MacAlister and Serco said then that there were no plans to use that hotel either.
Nationally, the Government has committed to ending the use of hotels for asylum accommodation. The fact-checking charity Full Fact reports that the number of asylum seekers in hotels fell by 46 per cent between June 2024 and June 2026.
What you can do: before sharing a post about a local building, look for a named, checkable source, such as a statement from the MP, the council or the company involved. Mr MacAlister asked people to let anyone sharing the claim know it is not true. If you have a question about the building's future, you can contact the MP's office through the UK Parliament website.