Bibby Stockholm barge listed on Booking.com for £86 per night as hoax

The government's controversial Bibby Stockholm barge for asylum seekers has been listed on a travel website for £86 per night.

The barge, in Portland Port, Dorset, was posted on Booking.com as a “new property deal” by an unnamed person who later admitted to the BBC it was a “joke”.

The listing was uploaded a week after 39 asylum seekers were evacuated from the vessel on 11 August over fears of Legionella bacteria.

The incident, which occurred just days after the migrants arrived, prompted widespread criticism of the Home Office's handling of the scheme.

Read more: How much did Bibby Stockholm cost?

Booking.com's listing for the Bibby Stockholm, which was taken down, described the ship as having a garden, sauna and swimming pool and boasting scenic views of Dorset's Jurassic coast.

It also advertised that towels and bed linen were provided, along with a daily breakfast choice of continental, American, or vegetarian options.

The prankster who made the listing said they "did not think they would take it seriously".

But a BBC journalist did manage to book a room before the advert was taken down, although his payment was not processed.

Read more: No.10 Refuses To Say When Bibby Stockholm Will House Asylum Seekers Again

Migrants were removed from the vessel when traces of Legionella were found in the water supply, a bacteria which can cause the potentially fatal Legionnaires’ disease.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has argued that the government’s approach to dealing with the Channel crossings was fairer for the taxpayer than putting asylum seekers in hotels.

Ministers estimate the current cost of housing migrants in hotels across the UK is £6 million a day.

But Reclaim the Sea, a non-profit organisation supporting refugees, has estimated that the savings made from the hotel bill through using the Bibby Stockholm could be £4,694 a day, a sum the advocacy group describes as “trivial”.

It says this is a conservative estimate, as there are likely to be unknown costs, further costs that aren't payable by the Home Office, and potential legal action that could cost the government more.

The Bibby Stockholm will reportedly cost taxpayers more than £20,000 a day and can accommodate more than 500 migrants.

Dorset Council has been paid £2m to help manage the scheme locally.

In June, The Independent revealed that Australian company Corporate Travel Management (CTM) would be paid £1.6bn over two years – without competition.

The contact is to manage the containment of asylum seekers on an unknown number of vessels, including the Bibby Stockholm, and an unknown number of hotels.

Health minister Will Quince had earlier suggested migrants could return to the barge within days, describing the Legionella scare as a “teething issue”.

But he said migrants will only return to the vessel if it is safe.

The Home Office confirmed Bibby Stockholm was not made available for public bookings.

Update:

Booking.com said in a statement: "The listing was quickly removed on Friday, and we have taken the steps needed to ensure it can never open again."