A picturesque English village has voted overwhelmingly to leave the United Kingdom in protest at plans to house more than 1,200 asylum seekers nearby.

In a symbolic referendum, residents in Piddington backed “independence” by 285 votes to 26. Turnout in the vote was 92%.

Although the result has no legal basis, it does demonstrate the strength of feeling in the Oxfordshire village against plans to convert a former military base in nearby Bicester into a centre for asylum seekers.

The government has said it wants to 1,256 immigrants there while their asylum claims are processed.

But opponents to the proposal say it will disrupt life in Piddington and pose a safety risk to residents.

The result of the referendum was announced by a returning officer to an audience of dozens of journalists and residents gathered outside the village hall on Wednesday morning.

Speaking to the Press Association on Tuesday parish chairman Tim McNally said the village would now be known as “the Principality of Piddington”.

He said: “On the 3rd of July, when we started this process, we went into this village hall as what we call the underdogs, not knowing how we were going to go forward and actually fight against this plan, we had a plucky idea.

“We had an idea that we would grow as people, and what I consider as definition of done, is this.

“This is definition of done. We have given an absolute message, not just to the region, not just to the country, but to the world.”

Responding to the referendum result, culture secretary Lisa Nandy said the government is “not going to change our plans” for the area.

She said: “We are listening, we do hear the clear frustration of the community in Piddington. 

“We are acting to bring down the asylum backlog we inherited, we’re speeding up asylum claims, we had record numbers of removals last year, and we saw small boat crossings falling this summer for the first time in many years.

“I do want to reassure people that we are getting a grip on this.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “The government is closing every asylum hotel, saving taxpayers over £1 billion 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.”

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