The fire caused �38m damage

He said he had "argued long and hard" that the centre should not be built on the former Ministry of Defence base north of Bedford.

"It is now clear that the building was erected in a rush and at any cost to meet political requirements," added Mr Hendry.

"But in doing so a lot of corners have been cut.

"I want to ensure that people in Bedfordshire are not faced with a bill for policing or any other cost associated with this disaster.

"We had worries about these wooden-framed buildings placed so close together so fire could spread from one to another, and about the fact there was no sprinkler system. All our fears were justified."

The county council could face high fire service costs

The overtime bill for the 200-plus police officers called to the riot would be huge, he added, and the county council would also have to foot part of the fire service's extra costs.

Conservative councillor Mr Hendry, who is also a member of Bedfordshire Police Authority, saw the blaze develop from his home nearby.

He said the Home Office must consult local residents on the centre's future.

"Ministers must not assume that Yarl's Wood can continue to operate in the same way on this site.

Closure call

"The government must keep all the options on the table and I suspect that people in Bedfordshire will be keen to see the centre close."

A total of 25 people are still missing after the riot and fire, but Bedfordshire Police said it did not think any of them died in the fire.

Structural engineers are inspecting the fire scene to determine when police can start investigating the site.

"We cannot search the premises because of safety reasons," the police spokesperson said.

"It may be another two or three days before that investigation can begin."