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Final asylum seeker leaves Bibby Stockholm

PA Media A view of the Bibby Stockholm, a large silver ship with red windows, being used as accommodation barge at Portland Port in Dorset, which has housed up to 500 asylum seekers at a time. In the foreground is a bush and some water.PA Media
The remaining eight men on board Bibby Stockholm were expected to leave on Tuesday

The last asylum seeker has left the Bibby Stockholm barge, according to a local support group.

The eight men were due to leave the accommodation in Portland, Dorset, on Tuesday, the BBC understands.

It comes after 300 residents from the barge were moved in October to places including Cardiff, Wolverhampton, Bristol and Worksop.

An operation expected to take "several weeks" will now begin to hand it back to owners Bibby Marine.

A black taxi driving past red gates.
It is believed the final asylum seeker left in a taxi earlier

Portland Global Friendship Group, an organisation offering support to the asylum seekers on the barge, said the last man stepped off at about 11:00 GMT.

BBC reporter Sophie Cridland has spoken to one asylum seeker who left the vessel on Monday and is now moving to Hampshire.

They told her there were 18 men on board over the weekend, with 10 leaving on Monday and the remaining eight expected to leave on Tuesday.

The BBC previously reported the men were being "dispersed around the country", with the process starting in October.

Dorset Council leader, Nick Ireland, previously confirmed the men would not be housed in Dorset or Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole areas.

The BBC understands the vessel will be towed away from Portland in January, which is when the contract between the Home Office and Portland Port expires.

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