The Home Office has more than doubled the number of asylum seekers at an army training camp in less than a month but is refusing to comment on an alleged knife attack.

Council bosses say male migrants in Crowborough, East Sussex, have increased from 27 to 80 since January 22, when the first group arrived under the cover of darkness.

At the Wealden District Council meeting this week members asked leaders for clarity on an alleged stabbing when a health worker was taken to hospital on February 5.

Cllr James Partridge said the police had denied the incident but the Home Office had declined to comment.

‘They should absolutely, within seconds, have said, “that’s not true” and sadly, they won’t,’ said Cllr Partridge.

He said the alleged knife attack was a ‘classic example’ of the Home Office failing to engage with the community.

‘We have been bounced into doing the Home Office’s job in one critical area which is trying to get information and pass that on to the local community.’

He added: ‘If I ever have a gravestone, it will probably say, the villain of the piece is the Home Office.’

Council bosses say the number of male migrants at a former army barracks in Crowborough has increased from 27 to 80 since January 22, when the first group arrived under the cover of darkness

Thousands of residents have held peaceful protests every Sunday since the Home Office announced its plans last October

Pictured: Protestors wave flags and banners outside the Crowborough Training Camp on January 25

Asked to describe the conditions in the camp after a recent visit, Cllr Partridge said the accommodation was basic.

‘We were told there were 80 asylum seekers in the camp,’ he said.

‘We didn’t speak to any of them. We saw quite a few walking around, and they are cold. Most of them seemed to have padded coats, a lot of them only had flip-flops, most were wearing tracksuit bottoms. They looked cold, thin, but they looked fine.

‘We were told that three had been moved to some other accommodation, for reasons not gone into, but we were told that nobody has disappeared. ‘The accommodation is pretty basic. Quite a lot of work has gone into setting up recreational facilities. One of the huts has been converted into a recreation and there are two snooker tables, quite a few table tennis tables, big television screen. In a separate building, there’s a lot of gym equipment. And there is an indoor five-a-side football pitch.

‘There’s a health team on site, five days a week. I believe there’s a policeman there permanently but we didn’t meet them. Overall, I kind of came away with the feeling that they’re doing their best with some pretty basic material.’

Community group Crowborough Shield, led by mother-of-four Kim Bailey, is taking the Home Office to court over its plans to house 540 single male asylum seekers at the former Army training camp in its bid to close migrant hotels.

Thousands of residents have held peaceful protests every Sunday since the Home Office announced its plans last October.

The site was previously used by the Ministry of Defence to train cadets who were ordered to leave the site in December as it would no longer be safe for children.

Run by Clearsprings Ready Homes, the migrants are required to sign in and out at the front gate.

Today the town will march for the 16th time.