Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, 51, has been forced to increase his security over increasing fears surrounding the growing migrant camp only minutes from his house. Just three miles away from the Naked Chef’s countryside estate lies the controversial RAF Wethersfield, an abandoned air force base, which has seen migrant numbers rocket from around 800 to over 1,300 in 2025. The Labour government had pledged to close down the site, which holds around 800 men between the ages of 18 and 65, with the capacity to house up to 1,700, a promise that, as yet, remains unfulfilled. The camp is said to be manned by “inexperienced students”, sparking concerns from locals.

The growing size of the camp and the government’s inability to close it down has left the chef fearful for his home and family and desperate to protect it. Daily Express can exclusively reveal that Oliver has increased his security at his 70-acre Elizabeth mansion, Spains Hall, telling friends he “doesn’t want to feel his wife and kids are not safe home alone because an immigrant camp is parked on his doorstep.”

A source close to Oliver and his family said: “Jamie has had to substantially beef up his security detail – he’s called in the ‘A-team’ of security firms that also cover a few other well-known and high-net-worth estates in the region. Jamie has spent a lot of money on this and wants to ensure his manor is kept safe with immediate alerts for any unwanted intruders.

“Since moving in back in 2019, Jamie has done so much for the place and poured millions into restoration, so locals feel it would be sad to see him go, but at the end of the day, he is determined to protect his family home.”

A representative for Oliver declined to comment when approached by Daily Express.

The migrant camp is on the edge of Finchingfield, an idyllic North Essex village that boasts pastel-fronted cottages, a quaint tearoom and a lake in its heart.

The locals told Daily Express they don’t see many migrants, who live just moments from the high street, which they believe is down to the lack of roads around the village. A lifelong resident said, “They have shuttle buses that take them to places like Colchester and Chelmsford, so they very rarely come into little villages like this.”

However, knowing the camp is on their doorstep has still sparked concerns, with other locals saying that if the migrant camp were to get any bigger, they would grow more fearful for the residents of the village.

Former Home Secretary James Cleverley, who represents the area, told the Daily Express that the government must stick to its pledge to end the use of the rural site to house male asylum seekers.

He said: “Residents have dealt with this situation with remarkable patience and goodwill, far more than could reasonably have been asked of them.

“The presence of a large-scale asylum accommodation site in a small rural village was always going to create pressure, that is why from the start I have stated that Wethersfield is not an appropriate location for an asylum centre.

“This situation is unfair to our community and unsustainable in the long term. People simply want to know when this will end. The cap on numbers put in place by the Conservatives has been breached, and the firm closure date is now under threat from Labour.

“I am fighting to make sure the Labour Government honours it and closes Wethersfield for good and on time, in Spring 2027.”