Richmond Council denies Premier Inn was used to house young offender
Richmond Council has criticised BBC's Newsnight for alleging it had used the Premier Inn in Hammersmith to house a young person on remand.
While Cllr Geoffrey Samuel, deputy leader for Richmond Council, admitted that from time to time the council might "utilise a variety of types of accommodation with support from outreach workers," he slammed the allegations that Richmond Council had placed a young person on remand in the Premier Inn in Hammersmith as "misleading and incorrect."
He added that further to Newsnight's initial inquiry, the council did not state or confirm anyone on remand had been placed in the hotel. Samuel said: "Newsnight have chosen to come to that conclusion themselves and in so doing they have come to the wrong conclusion."
Samuel confirmed today that the person placed in the hotel was not ion remand and, following a court appearance, the Crown Prosecution Service had withdrawn all charges, enabling the man to leave court freely.
"There were no outstanding charges, this person was not on bail, nor subject to a statutory court order to the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Youth Offending Team or any other youth offending team," explained Samuel.
A spokesman for Premier Inn said: "We have no evidence that a young offender stayed in a Premier Inn hotel. We are in contact with Richmond Council to find out whether they have booked anyone into our hotel and establish the facts.
"It is a practice that we would not support or co-operate with as clearly people on remand should be held in secure accommodation."
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By Emily Manson
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