THE Home Office stands accused today of wasting taxpayers' money after changing the name of Haslar's detention facility.

New signposts have gone up around Gosport showing the centre's new name - Immigration Removal Centre.

Councillor Peter Edgar, leader of Gosport Borough Council, condemned the name change.

"It's political correctness gone mad. The detention centre is well known on the signs as H.D.C.

"Signs should be clear without long words," he said.

"The word removal is generally used for moving house. It's a scandalous waste of money and to the man in the street tells them nothing about the detention process."

But a Home Office spokesman insisted the name change was to bring the centre into line with a government bill on asylum-seekers currently going through Parliament.

It was not disclosed how much the change of signage cost. Immigration removal centre better reflects what the centre actually does," he said.

"Detention has criminal connotations. Removal says what we do - remove people who have no legal status to remain in this country."

Centre manager Bob Bennett said staff now adopt detention centre rules rather than prison rules following the name change.

For example they are no longer allowed to open asylum-seekers' mail and must not eavesdrop on conversations during visiting times.

Michael Wooley of the Haslar Visitors Group, said: "It's purely political spin.

"The centre is no different to what it was before. Many of the men being held are still in the process of making appeals.

"It's just something to make Mr Blunkett look butch."