Spelthorne Council seeks clearer safeguards for HMOs after arrest near Laleham Primary School
Local MP Lincoln Jopp says a man was seen approaching children and their parents near the school last Thursday
Spelthorne Borough Council is urging the Home Office to improve its protocols for placing individuals in shared accommodations near schools following an arrest last week.
Last Thursday (16th April), a man in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of harassment outside Laleham Primary School, Surrey Police said.
Local MP Lincoln Jopp says a man was seen approaching children and their parents near the school.
The man was later detained under the Mental Health Act and is receiving treatment at a secure facility.
In response, the Leader of Spelthorne Borough Council wrote to the Home Office on 17th April seeking clarity on policies and procedures for such placements.
According to the council, the Home Office placed the individual in an unlicensed House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) on Shepperton Road without notifying the council.
The council had received a licence application for the property in February 2026 and is currently reviewing it under its statutory process.
Spelthorne has introduced borough-wide planning measures to better manage HMO growth, including an Article 4 Direction requiring planning permission for conversions to HMOs with three or more unrelated occupants.
The council emphasised that while planning rules regulate property standards, safeguarding responsibilities fall to the police and relevant agencies.