Residents of a village in Holland have asked their local authority to remove the footpath outside their homes to prevent asylum seekers from walking past.

One Dutch media outlet reports that the request came from one woman who lives on Koningstraat (King's Street) in the village of Beuningen in the East of the country.

The call comes after it was announced that a new refugee centre is to open in the village, which is expected to house 300 arrivals with many from Syria.

In an application to the council, the women said that the properties on the street would be significantly devalued if the footpath became a regular route for refugees travelling to the centre of the village.

Removing the path would then force the refugees to find an alternative route to the shops.

The request was rejected, however, by the Beuningen local authority as the footpath is part of the local infrastructure of the district.

The Irish Times reports that local authorities in several other Dutch towns and villages have been forced to abandon plans for refugee centres due opposition. Some council members have received threats.