Ray, 85, who lost his wife four years ago and has lived in the village for 50 years, said: ‘I’ve got them either side of me. So they meet and they have conversations in the middle of my front garden.’

He added: ‘We don’t know where they’ve come from, we don’t what they are, and we’re living next door to them – albeit they might be very nice people.’

The village – where homes face demolition if a third runway is built for the world’s second busiest airport – dates back to the 14th century and features several listed buildings.

Migrants arriving there are said to have come from countries including Iran, Eritrea and Syria – with many having passed through the ‘Jungle’ in Calais, where about 4,000 people camp.

Sitting outside: Migrants arriving in Longford are said to have come from countries including Iran and Eritrea

Near the airport: One of the migrants admitted he had paid a trafficker €500 (£370) in Calais to get into Britain

Accommodation: Among the properties in Longford being used by the migrants is the Heathrow Lodge Hotel

One of them, Mogdad from Sudan, admitted he had paid a trafficker €500 (£370) in Calais to get into Britain, telling the BBC: ‘I have no choice. I have to get away from death.’

But Pakistan-born pub owner Rana Saif said the migrants were damaging his sales, adding: ‘No one comes here, when they are standing 20, 80 people outside on the road, on the walls. 

‘I am going to move from here, as soon as. It was good before the immigrants came.’

A local hotel manager declined to comment, but he is said to have told villagers during a recent meeting that in future a maximum of 40 asylum seekers would be staying at any point. 

A Home Office spokesman said: ‘The UK has a proud history of granting asylum to those who need it, and we are committed to providing safe and secure accommodation while cases are considered.

Historic: The village of Longford dates back to the 14th century and features several listed buildings

Flight path: Homes in Longford face demolition if a third runway is built for the nearby London Heathrow Airport

How it used to look: A view of The White Horse pub in Longford, taken more than six decades ago in 1954

‘Decisions on the use of hotel accommodation, including which premises are used, are made by individual contractors who bear the cost. 

‘We have made clear to our providers that the use of hotels is only ever acceptable as a short-term contingency measure. We are taking steps with providers to ensure that this is the case.’

She told MailOnline today that all applications for asylum are ‘considered on their individual merits’, and that refuge will be given to those who have a ‘genuine need for protection’, or a ‘well-founded fear of persecution’.

The spokesman added that people who are found not to require protection in Britain are expected to leave the country voluntarily – and the Home Office will ‘enforce their departure’ if they try to stay.

Campsite: Many of the migrants arriving in the village are said to have passed through the ‘Jungle’ in Calais

Getting abroad: Dozens of migrants gather near lorries which head towards the Calais ferry terminal last week

On foot: Migrants walk railway lines and break into the Eurotunnel terminal compound near Calais in August

The sprawling Calais migrant camp known as the ‘Jungle’ has grown rapidly to now house more than 4,000 people – rising by around 1,000 since June and almost tripling since September 2014.

Many of its inhabitants use the camp as a springboard to reach the UK by sneaking onto lorries and Eurotunnel trains or simply walking across the underground passageway.

The once-desert area, home to 800 in 2009, has been transformed into a small town with its own mosques, shops that sell food and cigarettes, restaurants and even a bicycle repair shop.

Thousands set up tents or slept rough in the ‘Jungle’ – where the entrance is now guarded by barbed wire, armed police and dogs – with an ultimate goal of starting a new life in Britain. 

Chaotic scenes: Migrants push policemen during a stampede to board buses last month in Tovarnik, Croatia

On the move: Hundreds of migrants, brought by train from the Serbian border, arrive in Zagreb last month

Taken to safety: A refugee raises a child into the air as Syrian and Afghan refugees are seen on and around a dinghy that deflated before reaching the Greek island of Lesbos last month

They began sneaking onto trucks and lorries crossing the English Channel in July but when security was stepped up, hundreds stormed the tunnel every night to walk the 31 miles to Britain.

At least 13 migrants have died trying to cross the tunnel by foot in recent months. Eurotunnel drivers say they are struggling to do their jobs because they live in constant fear of killing another migrant. 

Home Secretary Theresa May warned last week of the perils of mass migration – saying the huge foreign influx was not in the national interest and led to lower wages and the loss of British jobs.

Based on the current influx, the UK needs to build 210,000 homes a year and find 900,000 extra school places by 2024.

Last month a study revealed Britain experienced the third largest increase in migrants of any major nation last year, with international migration to the UK in 2014 hitting 558,800.

This was a 24 per cent increase on 2013, with only Israel and the Czech Republic seeing bigger rises.

Many countries are expecting a large increase in migrants this year following the humanitarian crisis in Syria, with the UK pledging to accept up to 20,000 of them over the next five years.

It was revealed last month that Kent County Council was caring for 720 unaccompanied children who have crossed the English Channel to Dover – a rise from 630 at the start of August. 

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said 330,000 migrants arrived by sea in Europe in the first eight months of 2015, including 210,000 in Greece and 120,000 in Italy.

Share or comment on this article

Comments (235)

Share what you think

• 
  
  Newest
• 
  
  Oldest
• 
  
  Best rated
• 
  
  Worst rated

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Who is this week’s top commenter?
Find out now