ASYLUM seekers who were due to be moved from Glasgow's Red Road tower blocks will stay until after Christmas.

But a Glasgow politician has blasted the "outrageous" way asylum seekers - who are the last ever to stay in Petershill Drive before it is flattened next year - were told to leave.

City North East MP William Bain said a poster featuring pictures of planes and suitcases telling the residents to pack their bags by today was put up in the flats, which are used to house newly-arrived asylum seekers.

They were due to be moved temporarily to the Euro Hostel in the City Centre.

As we reported, a planning application for replacement accommodation at the Balmore Road former Scottish Water site was shelved last week.

More than 600 people objected to it.

Mr Bain said: "Less than two weeks before Christmas it would have been a particularly heartless way to treat asylum seekers to put up a poster in their block of flats featuring pictures of a plane and suitcases and ordering them to pack their bags by Saturday from a community where local churches and voluntary groups have offered support over many years.

It is understood Glasgow Housing Association agreed a temporary extension of the contract with Orchard and Shipman, which works on behalf of prime contractor Serco and the Home Office.

Concerns were raised over the suitability of the hostel.

Mr Bain said: "The priority must now be for them to find suitable alternative housing for the remaining short-stay asylum seekers who are in Petershill Drive.

"Putting vulnerable people who may just have arrived in Glasgow into a city centre hostel without cooking or other facilities would have been an appalling way to treat people."

Mr Bain has called on Ministers and the Home Office to provide answers.

He said: "I raised the situation with the Minister for Immigration and James Brokenshire MP by email on Thursday and have tabled both oral and written questions to the Home Office on the suitability of this proposed accommodation in terms of the contract between the Home Office and Serco, the outrageous way in which Red Road asylum seekers were notified about these changes, and wider issues of asylum seeker welfare which have been highlighted by events over the last month."

He said it must be ensured that asylum seekers at Petershill Drive "are not put through even more disruption and stress over their futures".

MSP Patricia Ferguson backed Mr Bain's calls.

She said: "I'm concerned about the speed and the haste with how this has gone ahead.

"I support William's effort in trying to get answers from the Home Office at this crucial time."