A Reform UK council has said it plans to spend £150,000 on security guards in response to safety concerns over “daily gatherings of asylum seekers”.

Essex County Council said the “operatives” would be introduced to town and city centres in Braintree, Colchester and Chelmsford to deter anti-social behaviour and reassure residents.

But the personnel will have no more power than other members of the public to take any action against crime, and law enforcement will still need to be led by local police.

Government plans to expand the use of nearby former RAF airbase Wethersfield to house asylum seekers, some of whom travel to surrounding areas by bus, have been heavily criticised by the local authority.

Essex council said there is “anecdotal evidence” that “the presence of this community of asylum seekers creates a fear and perception of a risk of crime”.

The move to deploy trained security personnel could help provide “intelligence” to local authorities and reduce anxieties, an executive decision paper published on Saturday said.

But it acknowledged the “security staff will have no more powers to take any action than a member of the public, and they will need to be visible without intruding upon anyone’s lawful activities”.

The paper adds: “Any need for law enforcement will need to be led by Essex Police.”

The move is expected to cost £150,000 drawn from a community improvement fund for a three-month trial, with further investment required if the plans are extended over a longer period.

Ministers are facing local opposition to their plans to fill 1,245 bedspaces at Wethersfield, up from a cap of 800, after pledging to end the costly use of hotels to house asylum seekers.

Council leader Peter Harris said the induction process at the site was “woefully inadequate”, especially on the introduction to British culture and “expectations we have of acceptable behaviour toward to women and girls”.

He added: “Concerns for community safety are clearly there, particularly among women and girls, because of the daily gatherings of asylum seekers – gatherings which will increase in number and size as the facility expands.

“I have voiced these concerns directly to the Home Office, which now runs a fleet of 17 minibuses to the three nearest towns and cities on a daily basis.

“You would have to question whether daily trips to the nearest town and cities are justified given the comprehensive nature of what is provided at Wethersfield.

“This is an issue I will be returning to with the Home Office as a matter of urgency.”

The county council said it was in the process of contracting a security company.

The Home Office has been contacted for comment.