Piddington locals take self-defence classes and install CCTV as residents vote in 'independence' referendum

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Chair of the Parish Council Tim McNally hopes the result will send a clear message to parliament

Villagers in Piddington are voting on whether to leave the UK today in a symbolic independence “referendum”.

It’s part of their protest against controversial Government plans to house more than 1,000 asylum seekers at a nearby former military base a mile from their village.

The Government proposal would see 1,256 male asylum seekers moving into MoD Bicester, and has sparked anger and fear among many of the village’s 350 residents.

Sandra Innes, a local resident who’s lived in Piddington for 23 years, told GB News she is starting to take self-defence classes because she’s worried for her safety.

“Our concerns really are safety, the safety of the people in the village. They should be able to walk down the street and feel safe. I can assure you, if it goes ahead, the women will not feel safe,” Sandra told GB News

Mrs Innes said: “We have actually already started self-defence classes for women. But it's not just self-defence, we're looking at CCTV in the village and at having personal alarms.”

The Home Office say their asylum plans are “fair” but Ian Darby, who has been in Piddington for 16 years, told GB News he feels the proposals are “disproportionate”.

“It's so disproportionate, this is a village of 350 people, so 1,250 men is so disproportionate and we will be taken over in that process,” Mr Darby said.

“This is a site that we don't think is suitable for asylum seekers. It's got no water, it's got no drainage, it's got no electricity, it's a flood zone and it's on a busy road. We think all of those things will impact the site itself,” Ian told GB News.

One of the Women of Piddington, Victoria Hubbocks, told GB News that she will now have to bring her children up differently because of these plans

“We moved to the village 9 or 10 years ago to give them the upbringing I had in village life, to be safe when they leave our front door, to be able to go and walk to their friends houses and to go play in the park, and just the sheer volume of people that there's going to be is just completely disproportionate,” the mum of three told the People's Channel.

“And the fact that they are unvetted and we don't know where they're from, or even any of their criminal past, just means that I won't allow my children to do as they do now and live the life they currently live.

“I just feel that children get one childhood and this not only affects their childhood, but for us, it loses all of our options as a family.

“So if we ever did want to leave. Not that we do. I don't think anyone would buy our houses, so we are pretty much stuck in a situation that we've had no say in.”

This vote is purely symbolic because there is no legal framework for Piddington to actually leave the United Kingdom.

That means villagers won’t have their own passports, nor will there be any border checks on the roads into Piddington.

But Chair of the Parish Council Tim McNally has told GB News he hopes the result will send a clear message to parliament.

“The worry here is the Government is playing Russian roulette with our security. No one's listening to us. Why are we talking to brick walls? Why is the political establishment broken and it is broken? We elect MPs through democracy. They get into Westminster and then they lose their brain and they lose their tongue. Why?” Tim told GB News.

“It's not about Piddington leaving the UK. We know we don't have a legal stance to do such a thing, but what it does do is it gives confidence to other communities who feel the same as us, who are going to step up and follow our process,” the Chair of the Parish Council said.

A Home Office spokesman has said: “The Government is closing every asylum hotel, saving taxpayers over £1billion on asylum support since the election.

“We are working to fairly house asylum seekers across the country, moving asylum seekers into alternative accommodation, including former military sites which are designed to be self-contained to reduce impact on the local community.

“As part of the process, we engage with local authorities and police forces to ensure the safety and security of those in the surrounding area.”

Results of this “referendum” will be announced tomorrow morning.