The number of asylum seekers in Stoke-on-Trent hotels has increased, new government figures show.

There were 1,307 asylum seekers receiving support in Stoke-on-Trent at the end of September, up from 1,265 in June.

The September total included 1,017 people in dispersed accommodation (up from 1,014), and 271 in hotels (up from 224).

A further 19 supported asylum seekers had their own accommodation in Stoke-on-Trent.

Stoke-on-Trent's latest figures equate to 48 asylum seekers per 10,000 population, the highest ratio in the West Midlands and the eighth highest in the country.

Tamworth had 261 supported asylum seekers (down from 266) in September, the second highest total in Staffordshire, while there were 150 in Newcastle-under-Lyme (up from 134).

And there were 134 asylum seekers in East Staffordshire, 112 in South Staffordshire, 26 in Staffordshire Moorlands, 26 in Cannock Chase, 13 in Stafford and three in Lichfield.

The total number of supported asylum seekers in the UK increased from 106,075 in June to 111,651 in September, including 36,273 in hotels.

The government has pledged to end the use of asylum hotels by 2029, and is also seeking to disrupt the people-smuggling gangs responsible for small boat crossings and speed up the processing of asylum claims.