An East Midlands hotel was told to cancel weddings in order to take on more refugees. Stoke Rochford Hall Hotel is welcoming more refugee families with "immediate effect", meaning they have had to cancel three weddings.
The hotel in Grantham, Lincolnshire, houses refugees as part of a compulsory contract with the Government. Several hotels in Lincolnshire, and many across the country, have been used to house refugees fleeing Afghanistan.
Lincolnshire Live reports the Stoke Rochford Hotel's contract with the Government had been extended. A spokesperson for the hotel said: "The hotel has received notification from the Home Office that the current government contract is to be extended to take additional families with immediate effect.
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"It is with deep regret that three weddings that had planned to use the hotel over the coming months have to be cancelled." Nearby Urban Hotel in Swingbridge Road, Grantham, also houses refugees.
The Government under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged in 2021 to take on 20,000 refugees from the war-torn country over the next five years, following the withdrawal of British troops, with support from several of Lincolnshire's councils.
The spokesperson for Stoke Rochford Hall continued to say that the team was aware of how "upsetting" having your wedding cancelled could be. "We appreciate how distressing and setting cancelling a wedding is, not only for the bride and groom but for all the guests that have been looking forward to celebrating the union and in many cases have made travel arrangements," she said.
The affected couples have been invited to come to the hotel so they can discuss the sudden turn of events with the staff. "Not only are we offering our sincere apologies, but where possible looking at alternative arrangements and venues and then transferring the weddings plans to the venue," she added.
The hotel will also arrange a 'full refund' and cover 'any additional expenses the couple may have incurred'.
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