LONDON - Britain has removed migrants from a residential barge on the country's southern coast after finding Legionella bacteria in the water supply, Sky News reported on Friday.

The Home Office, or interior ministry, did not have an immediate comment on the report.

Migrants had started to live on board the three-story Bibby Stockholm barge, which can house around 500 people in over 200 bedrooms, from Monday as part of a high-profile scheme to cut the cost of supporting asylum seekers.

More were expected to arrive over the coming weeks.

Sky said the bacteria had been found in the water supply and those on board had been removed as a precaution. The bacteria can cause Legionnaires' disease, a lung infection that the national health service describes as uncommon but "very serious".

(Reporting by Muvija M; Editing by Kate Holton)