“I feel safe here.”

After fleeing the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, James Alae, 18, is one of the current guests at the Heathlands Hotel.

His mother was killed in June and his father was murdered when he was just a toddler, he told the Daily Echo.

Completely alone and without any other family, he said he arrived at the hotel five days ago from London.

“There is war in my country. If there was no war I would like to go back home,” he said.

“But they are killing us and targeting us.

“I want to be safe. I don’t know what’s happening (in the future).”

James also told the Daily Echo he was unable to talk to other people in the group as they didn’t speak the same language.

Seen sitting in the front garden area of the hotel over the weekend, some of the group were sitting alone, or seen in pairs.

The current situation in the DRC is tense and unstable.

The Foreign Office advises against all travel to eastern and north eastern DRC and a statement on its website says since April 2009, the Congolese army has been carrying out operations against foreign and armed groups.

Acts of violence, including killing, rape and looting, continue against the civilian population, it adds.