THE number of asylum seekers living in Southampton has fallen again.

Official statistics show the city was home to 360 refugees in June - the second highest number in the south-east outside London.

This is compared to 480 in March - a drop of 120. Latest Home Office figures show Southampton has 255 people living in houses, flats and hotel rooms paid for by the National Asylum Seekers Service (NASS). Another 105 receive only cash for food, clothes and travel.

People have been taken by bus to Southampton shortly after arriving in Britain after fleeing conflict-torn and poverty-stricken countries, such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

Nationally, the number of applications by asylum seekers - including dependants such as children and spouses - in the three months to June was 9,210. This is down from 10,585 in December 2003 to March 2004 - 13 per cent.

The number of failed asylum seekers removed from the UK fell to 3,725 including dependants. This was down 18 per cent on the same period last year when 4,565 people were removed. Officials said numbers were dropping because of better border controls in France and tough new government rules including restricting handouts.

Earlier this year Home Secretary David Blunkett unveiled new measures to tackle the problem. These included plans to open a removal centre near Heathrow Airport, reaching agreements with authorities in Iraq, Sri Lanka and China to return failed asylum seekers, and agreeing to extend UK border controls to Belgian Channel ports and Eurostar trains from Brussels.

Immigration minister Des Browne said: "The government is committed to pursuing a balanced asylum and immigration policy and the figures show that is working.

"We have cut abuse and are protecting our borders while at the same time offering a haven to those genuinely fleeing persecution, and providing controlled legal routes for workers who want to make a contribution to the UK and where it is in the interests of oureconomy.

"We have made good progress in dramatically cutting asylum claims.''

But Tory home affairs spokesman Humfrey Malins said: "This government has had a chaotic and shambolic policy for the last few years. They are hopelessly inefficient.

"If there are fewer asylum applications in the last quarter, most people believe that that could mean greater numbers of people are still entering the country illegally, because our borders are not secure, and simply not bothering to claim asylum.''

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten, pictured, MP for Winchester, said: "I think that having a target or being obsessed by numbers is the wrong way to look at this.

"For example, I would actually welcome in some circumstances an increase in asylum applications.

"If there was a disaster in Somalia or Iraq, surely we would want to see an increase because it would mean that we were taking people who were fleeing persecution.''