The first 50 asylum seekers will begin moving onto the Bibby Stockholm barge from next week, a Home Office spokesperson has said.

The Bibby Stockholm barge arrived at Portland Port yesterday morning.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said: "The Bibby Stockholm has now arrived at Portland Port.

"From next week about 50 asylum seekers will be moved on to the vessel as part of a carefully structured plan to increase the number of individuals on board over the next few months.

"The government is providing substantial funding to local services including the police and NHS to support them and minimise the impact on the local community, with catering, recreational areas and basic health care provision on board."

The barge will eventually house 506 single male asylum seekers at full capacity.

When it was purchased by the Home Office, the Bibby Stockholm had just 222 rooms.

It was revealed later that the men would be housed in mainly twin rooms, with some rooms of four and some of six.

READ MORE: Explained: All you need to know about the Bibby Stockholm barge coming to Dorset

All rooms will contain en suite bathrooms.

Aboard the barge, there are quiet rooms, multi-faith rooms, rooms for card games, a TV room and a media room with computer access.

A bar which used to be on the barge has been taken out and some of the recreation rooms have been reconfigured.

In the first few weeks, the multi-agency forum is working out activities for the asylum seekers to do dockside at the Port.

This will include a dignity shop which will allow the asylum seekers to have access to a wider choice of clothing such as T-shirts, trousers and hats.

The asylum seekers will be free to come and go from the barge, but can only leave the secure facility of the Port via buses running to various locations throughout the day.

The buses are initially planned to run every hour from the Port to stops in Victoria Square, Portland, Lidl on Portland Beach Road and at the Range in Weymouth.

Plans are being put in place to take asylum seekers to various specified locations and voluntary activities at a later date.