IT'S being seen as the first of many D-Days for Daedalus.

Home Office officials are set to meet with Gosport council representatives today in what is expected to be official confirmation of their intention to house 400 asylum seekers at the former air base.

It is the first time Whitehall representatives have visited Gosport since the announcement in February, having snubbed invites from residents.

The government has been highly criticised by the public and members of the council for not keeping locals informed of their plans since they declared an interest in Lee-on-the-Solent.

Although a Home Office website has been set up, it has not been updated in three weeks, prompting criticism from residents about being left in the dark.

The technical submission is set to be handed over to Gosport planners at the meeting today, the time and place of which has not been made public. Officials thought the Home Office would be put off if they were greeted by hoards of protesters demonstrating outside, so the details of the meeting have been kept under wraps.

A spokeswoman for Gosport council said: "The chief executive and the leader of the council have discussed the arrangements with the action group and it has been decided that an announcement will be made this evening.

"The leader Shaun Cully will speak to people outside the Town Hall to tell them the outcome of the meeting, but what we didn't want was the Home Office representative not coming in person to give us the information because of any possible demonstration outside."

The action group is now urging protesters to meet outside the Town Hall at 6pm today to hear what has been discussed. Organiser Elaine Kent said: "After speaking with the council, we thought it was the best thing to encourage people to come along at 6pm to hear what was said.

"We need to know what exactly they are proposing to be in a position to fight it."

More than a thousand people are expected to converge at the Town Hall tonight to hear the announcement by Shaun Cully. A public address system is being set up for Cllr Cully to address the crowds, followed by a speech from John Beavis, chairman of the residents' action group.