A company which intends to evict hundreds of asylum seekers from their homes in Glasgow has defended its plans.

Serco has faced criticism from charities, politicians and the Church of Scotland over its proposals, which would leave more than 300 people homeless.

It has already sent notices to six tenants warning their locks will be changed within seven days and the rest are expected to be told over the next few months.

Serco chief executive Rupert Soames claimed housing the tenants - whose applications for asylum have been rejected - costs £1m a year.

"Serco is paying for accommodation, including rent, rates, heating and lighting and insurance for some 330 people who are no longer receiving support from the Home Office," he said.

"We are giving financial and welfare support to vulnerable people for many months, and in some cases more than a year, after their asylum claims have been refused.

"This is currently costing Serco over a million pounds a year, which costs would have to be borne by the council if we were not doing it."

However, Mr Soames also pledged that over the next four weeks Serco would issue no more than ten lock-change notices a week.

No families with children will be locked out, he said, and everyone issued with a letter will have "exhausted their appeal process and no longer have the right to remain in the country".

It is unclear when Serco would consider the process exhausted, however, and half of all asylum decisions are eventually overturned on appeal.

Mr Soames was responding to a letter by cross-party group of 11 Glasgow councillors urging home secretary Sajid Javid to halt the evictions.

On Wednesday, two Afghan refugees began a hunger strike outside Serco's offices in Glasgow.

Craig Paterson, a spokesman for housing charity Living Rent, said: "Today the people of Glasgow put Serco on notice.

"We will not allow Serco to evict people in our city and promise to oppose these lock changes by any and all means necessary."