A senior immigration officer at Lunar House has been suspended after allegedly promising to help a teenage girl win refugee status in return for sex.

James Dawute was suspended from his post as chief immigration officer at the Home Office's Croydon-based Immigration and Nationality Directorate after he was taped trying to persuade an 18-year-old Zimbabwean asylum seeker to have sex in return for help with her asylum application.

At a meeting Mr Dawute told the Zimbabwean he knew "how to win her case" before saying, "I'm going to make love to you".

It is alleged Mr Dawute picked the Zimbabwean, identified only as Tanya, out of a queue of asylum seekers at Lunar House and asked for her telephone number.

But after giving her number the woman tipped off a national Sunday newspaper which set up a sting. It has also emerged that the chief immigration officer asked Tanya for her bank details so he could put money into her account.

The new 'sex for asylum' allegations are the latest to rock the Home Office after a former Lunar House employee revealed officers slept with attractive asylum seekers desperate to avoid being kicked out of the country.

A Home Office spokesman confirmed Mr Dawute's suspension pending further enquiries but refused to comment further on the allegations.

But a Lunar House insider told the Croydon Guardian he was "disgusted" by the latest allegations. The man, who asked not to be named, said: "I can't believe people here are doing things like that. If it turns out to be true then it is appalling."

Richard Ottaway, Croydon South MP, said he was shocked and called for an immediate Lunar House clear out.

Mr Ottaway said: "I am surprised and astonished. If it happens once it's the way of the world, a second time suggests there is a massive problem with this at Lunar House and I urge ministers to act swiftly.

"They can't let this guy get away with it and must pass the appropriate disciplinary procedures. This problem needs to be rooted out now."

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

Part of a transcript from an undercover investigation by the Observer newspaper:

Dawute: I want to make sure you are safe.

Tanya: I'm safe already. You are the one making me feel unsafe cause you are trying to take me to a hotel and I don't know what you are going to do to me.

Dawute: I'm going to tell you.

Tanya: What intention do you have?

Dawute: I'm going to make love to you.

Tanya: If that's what you want, you had better guarantee that everything goes well.

Dawute: OK.

Tanya: Are you guaranteeing that?

Dawute: Why do you ask so many questions?

Tanya: Cause I've been abused so many times.

Dawute: It's nice talking to you. I want to go to bed with you.

Tanya: What guarantee do I have you are going to do what you said you would do?

Dawute: Why don't you trust me?

Tanya: I'm not going to walk into... that's why I want to know inaudible.

Dawute: Are you saying that's a precondition?

Tanya: No it's not a precondition, it's just that I need to know.

Dawute: I will do my best to make sure that you are OK.

Tanya: But would that not get you into trouble? I'm concerned about you as well.

Dawute: You keep on having that concern. I know how to win your case.