Refugees held for assault in public pool

London: Four Afghan asylum seekers have been arrested over claims that they sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl in a public swimming pool.

The youths, aged 14 to 17, are alleged to have attacked the girl while they were on a supervised visit to a leisure centre. It is not known whether their "carer" was in the water at the time.

After the victim complained to police, officers studied CCTV footage from the leisure centre and arranged for the youths to attend a police station for questioning. There they were arrested and released on police bail. All four deny any wrongdoing.

The alleged attack happened at the Larkfield Leisure Centre in Aylesford, Kent.

The Afghans, who arrived in the UK as "unaccompanied minors" and speak little English, live 15 miles away in a residential unit for young asylum seekers in the countryside near Staplehurst.

Wrong information

Many young refugees are suspected of lying about their ages because unaccompanied minors are given better treatment and support than adult asylum seekers.

The residential centre where the four sex attack suspects live is not marked on the map or signposted from the road and is more than ten minutes' drive from the nearest village. Even the sign identifying the facility cannot be seen from the road.