Mayor Chris Cooke has slammed recent misinformation and hate spread on social media - and confirmed that 'no Middlesbrough hotels are housing asylum seekers'.

Middlesbrough's mayor has moved to "challenge" the "big increase in misinformation and hate involving Middlesbrough on social media" in recent weeks. He apologised for listing examples but says he feels it is his responsibility to ensure such "dangerous misinformation" is fact-checked and confronted.

In a statement, Mayor Cooke referenced several examples, including:

how the Middlesbrough Mela was a "fantastic event" with people of all backgrounds united - but hundreds of "distasteful, inflammatory and in many cases racist" comments were left on Facebook;

Fake posts that asylum seekers do live, or will live, in the TAD Centre,

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