Hundreds of people took to the streets of Glasgow last night to protest against the eviction of up to 300 asylum seekers as the firm behind the move vowed to press ahead with the lock changes.

With chants of “refugees are welcome here”, the crowd carried placards and banners saying “change the law, not the locks” and “we are all human” as they gathered in the city’s Buchanan Street.

The protest was organised after Home Office contractor Serco notified tenants, deemed failed asylum seekers by the UK Government, that their locks would be changed.

Politicians and charities have pleaded with the firm to suspend its planned evictions and CEO Rupert Soames is understood to have agreed to consider it.

However, a Serco spokesman last night confirmed that they "are not planning to suspend" the proceedings, with the first six eviction notices already served.

A further ten notices - giving a seven day eviction warning - could be issue next week.

It came as Glasgow City Council confirmed it is in the process of setting up a taskforce to respond to the “emerging crisis” in a further letter to Home Secretary Sajid Javid calling for the Home Office to intervene and halt the evictions.

The protest saw charity workers and politicians from Labour, the SNP and the Greens speak out against the move.

Paul Sweeney, Labour MP for Glasgow North East, told the crowd that he had been made aware of a mother and two children who have been served with a seven-day notice, however Serco denied this and said only single males had been served so far.

Robina Qureshi, director of refugee charity Positive Action in Housing, also told the crowd that some asylum seekers were being asked by Serco to sign paperwork they do not fully understand.

Ms Qureshi, who ripped up the paperwork as the crowd cheered, said: “If they don’t sign, they’re being threatened with more people turning up. These letters are the preamble to the seven-day notice letters used to lock people out.”

Serco said it did not recognise this claim.

Ms Qureshi added that a further protest - including the burning of eviction notices - is planned for Saturday outside the Home Office building in Glasgow.

Two asylum seekers, Mirwais Ahmadzai, 27, and Rahman Shah, 32, also plan to go on hunger strike outside the government building from tomorrow morning in protest.

Meanwhile, both the leader and chief executive of Glasgow City Council have written to the Home Office requesting an urgent halt to Serco’s plans, claiming the lock changes would result in a “humanitarian crisis” for Glasgow.

The letter states: “A suspension of the immediate commencement of the programme would enable Glasgow City Council to establish what advocacy and support services are required to enable those asylum seekers affected to fully explore what legal processes or other options remain open to them.”

It adds that the council is setting up a taskforce of council officers and third sector and legal charities to “advise on the level of support we require to put in place and the scale of resources needed”.

Lawyers have also questioned the legality of any such evictions and are working with the local authority to identify those affected with a view to raising legal proceedings.

Historically, lock changes have not been used for those who remain in asylum accommodation despite the Home Office ruling they will not be granted refugee status and stopping their funding.

Mike Dailly, of Govan Law Centre, said: “We are convinced that Serco are proposing to act unlawfully. This is a complex area of law and it’s very unlikely vulnerable people can just be summarily evicted in the way Serco propose.”

Serco said it has been providing housing free of charge and without recompense from the Home Office, in some cases for months, for former asylum seekers.

The company said it is sympathetic to those affected but believes it has been “more than supportive” and has started legal proceedings for repossession as these residents “no longer have any right to continue to live in the property we provide”.