Convicted paedophile arrested at Britannia Ashley Hotel in Hale

(HALE, GREATER MANCHESTER, UK) A convicted paedophile wanted by German authorities for a child sex offence was arrested by National Crime Agency officers at the Britannia Ashley Hotel in Hale, Greater Manchester on October 17, 2025, intensifying local anger over the long-running use of hotels to house asylum seekers. The man, identified by officials as 32-year-old Izalden Alshaik Suleman, had been living at the hotel, which has served as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers since February 2023.

The arrest took place without advance notice to local leaders. Officials including local MP Connor Rand, Greater Manchester Police and Trafford Council were told only after Suleman was detained, prompting immediate questions about communication, security checks and the suitability of the Britannia Ashley Hotel for vulnerable families. Suleman is now subject to extradition proceedings, according to local officials briefed after the operation.

“While I am grateful to the NCA for their work to apprehend a clearly dangerous individual, I share the anger of residents that we were kept in the dark about such a serious incident.”

He added: “Local police, politicians and residents should have been told about this arrest and why it had taken place.” Rand, who said he intends to push ministers for a rapid resolution to the case, added: “The individual who has been arrested should never have been allowed into the country. I understand they now face extradition, and I will be writing to the Home Office to request they are deported as soon as possible.”

The National Crime Agency confirmed the operation at the Britannia Ashley Hotel but did not release further details of the arrest beyond Suleman’s age, identity and the German warrant. The agency led the detention, and local officials, including Greater Manchester Police, were notified only after he was in custody. The lack of prior warning left community leaders fielding calls from residents who saw police activity at the site, according to people informed after the arrest.

The case has reopened arguments that have simmered in Hale since early 2023, when the Britannia Ashley Hotel was first used to house asylum seekers. The hotel sits amid local shops and on a narrow, busy road, and, from the outset, the decision drew criticism from politicians across Trafford and beyond. Sir Graham Brady, the then-local MP, previously called it the “most obviously inappropriate location you could imagine” and said he had secured assurances that at least 80% of residents would be families rather than single men.

In the past year, pressure on local services increased further when the nearby Cresta Court began accommodating up to 300 migrants in October 2024, according to local officials. Residents say the cumulative effect has been a sense that decisions were made over their heads, and the sudden arrest of a convicted paedophile inside the Britannia Ashley Hotel has sharpened fears about vetting and oversight.

Cllr Nathan Evans, leader of Trafford Conservatives, called the situation “shocking” and “outrageous,” and said political opponents had ignored warnings about the risks of placing large numbers of asylum seekers in hotel rooms not designed for long stays. “We have been mocked by the Greens, Lib Dems, Labour and I even got a letter from the churches saying we were wrong to call these facilities inappropriate. These are the places we should not be housing these illegal migrants,” he said, arguing that the government should end hotel use and move people to purpose-built sites with tighter controls.

National figures also weighed in. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “It should never have been possible for anyone with serious convictions abroad to claim asylum here. This has now become a national emergency.” His comments reflect a broader push to strengthen pre-entry checks and to speed up the removal of people identified as security risks, whether they arrive by small boat or through other routes.

The Home Office said security procedures are already in place for arrivals and that those identified as threats are targeted for removal. “Mandatory security checks are an essential part of our border controls and are conducted on all small boat arrivals. Where criminals or threats are identified, we seek to remove them as soon as possible,” the department said. Officials did not say when Suleman entered the UK or through which route, and did not confirm whether he was originally screened on arrival.

For Hale residents, the immediate issue is the community impact. Parents with children at nearby schools and nurseries said they were alarmed by the news, and shop owners close to the Britannia Ashley Hotel reported a day of rumours before the NCA confirmed the arrest. Local councillors said they were frustrated that they could not share verified information earlier because they had not been told, even as messages spread across neighbourhood groups.

The arrest also underlined a wider policy debate about using hotels as emergency accommodation due to a backlog of asylum cases and a shortage of dedicated housing. A recent MPs’ report described the long-term use of hotels for asylum seekers as “unpopular with local communities and largely unsuitable for accommodating asylum seekers.” The report’s findings mirror concerns raised in Hale since February 2023, when the Britannia Ashley Hotel first began taking families and later, according to local assurances, a smaller proportion of single men.

Officials in Trafford have said repeatedly that the borough supports people seeking protection but that hotels were never designed for months-long stays, with limited access to communal spaces and children’s services. They argue that hotels place pressure on local health and education services and create friction with nearby residents who feel the arrangement was imposed without consultation. Those arguments have now been amplified by the arrest of a convicted paedophile within a building that also accommodates families with children.

Extradition proceedings for Suleman are now expected to move through the courts. Under UK procedures, judges consider requests from foreign authorities, and, if approved, the Home Secretary authorises extradition. The process includes rights of appeal for the requested person and can take time depending on the case. Government guidance on the process is published by the Home Office and courts, including steps from arrest to final decision, which can be found via the UK government’s extradition guidance.

The case has reignited discussion about how people with serious foreign convictions could end up living among families in hotel accommodation in the first place. The Home Office said it runs checks on small boat arrivals and seeks rapid removal of those who pose risks, but the statement did not address how Suleman was placed at the Britannia Ashley Hotel or how quickly information was shared with local authorities. NCA officers, who enforce the UK’s most serious crime investigations and cooperate with overseas counterparts, moved in to detain Suleman at the Hale site after a request from Germany.

In the days ahead, local leaders said they want answers on timelines, safeguards and communication. Rand said he would press for a full briefing from the Home Office and the NCA on how the case was handled. Residents in Hale have called for a review of who is housed in the Britannia Ashley Hotel and for stronger assurances that people with serious convictions are not placed in mixed family settings. Trafford councillors said they will seek clarity on whether extra security or staff changes are planned at the site.

The incident has also refocused attention on the nearby Cresta Court, which began accommodating up to 300 migrants in October 2024. Community groups say Crest Court’s scale and location have already stretched local support networks and that the arrest at the Britannia Ashley Hotel has intensified concerns. Some residents want both hotels returned to their previous commercial uses, while others say the priority should be to move families into stable, appropriate housing away from busy high streets and in proximity to schools and GPs.

Though national officials insist that mandatory checks are in place, the Hale case has laid bare the gaps that can open up between policy and practice. The NCA’s swift arrest removed a wanted man from a sensitive environment. Yet the lack of early communication to Greater Manchester Police, Trafford Council and the local MP has left lasting anger. For families living in the Britannia Ashley Hotel, the immediate worry is safety and stability; for neighbours and shopkeepers, it is the sense of being kept in the dark about a serious incident on their doorstep.

As Suleman’s extradition case moves forward, pressure is mounting on the Home Office to explain who knew what, and when. For Hale, the arrest has become a flashpoint in a broader argument about where and how people seeking safety should live—and what checks must happen before they are placed in hotels alongside children. Whether it leads to changes in policy or simply deeper scrutiny of sites like the Britannia Ashley Hotel in Greater Manchester will depend on how the government responds to the questions that residents and their representatives are now demanding be answered.