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BBC News
an hour ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Police condemn 'thugs and vandals' at Epping asylum seeker hotel protests
Update: Date: 14:48 BST Title: 'This is a powder keg situation,' says council leader Content: Neil Hudson, the Conservative MP for Epping, and Alex Burghart, the Conservative MP for Brentwood and Ongar, have called for The Bell Hotel to be closed due to the disorder. Chris Whitbread, the Tory leader of Epping Forest District Council, has described it as a "powder keg" situation. In an interview with BBC Newsnight's Victoria Derbyshire, external, he said: "Fair-minded people within the local community, initially protesting peacefully, want the hotel closed. "I have to say, as the leader of the council, that's always been my position and the council's position. This is just not a suitable location. The sooner it's dealt with, the better." He said he sympathised with the "vulnerable" asylum seekers at the hotel but stressed locations that had "less impact on established communities" needed to be found by the Home Office. Update: Date: 14:39 BST Title: 'Categorically wrong' to say officers were driving people to protest - Essex Police Content: Essex Police has also just shared this statement with us regarding claims made on social media, which were echoed by Nigel Farage. "There are claims on social media that Essex Police officers 'bussed' protesters to the protest outside The Bell Hotel on 17 July," a spokesman says. "This is categorically wrong. "Officers did provide a foot cordon around protesters on their way to the protest, where they and others were allowed to exercise their right to protest. "Later some people who were clearly at risk of being hurt were also escorted by vehicle away from the area for their safety. "To reiterate, we categorically did not drive any counter-protesters to the site on any occasion." Update: Date: 14:35 BST Title: Farage calls for resignations over police response Content: At the press conference earlier, the chief constable was asked to respond to allegations that officers were favouring pro-asylum seeker protesters. It comes after Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called for Mr Harrington's resignation over claims made in the national press that police were ferrying those campaigners to the hotel. Mr Harrington said: "People have got the right to turn up and protest if they are peaceful and lawful. "We have not driven people to the protest, people made their own way there. "We did take people away for their safety, for the safety of people there. To defuse the situation we drove people away." Prior to the press conference, Farage accused Essex Police of being "absolutely disgraceful" in how it handled clashes between rival protesters. You can read more on this point of contention here. Update: Date: 14:32 BST Title: What did the chief constable say? Content: Ben-Julian Harrington, the Chief Constable of Essex Police, spoke to the media for about half an hour to discuss protests at The Bell Hotel in Epping. Here are some of the main points he made: Update: Date: 14:19 BST Title: Chief thanks reporters as he ends press conference Content: Mr Harrington thanks reporters as he ends the press conference. Stay with us as we bring you reaction. Update: Date: 14:19 BST Title: Some protesters are 'stoking up' tensions Content: One reporter asks how many of the protesters are from Essex. Mr Harrington replies "a large proportion", adding: "But there have, as well, been people who have come in from elsewhere to express their views." He continues: "What we have is those protesting the use of this hotel and we've got those who are pro-that." The chief constable says some have been "peaceful and legitimate", while others have been "inciting violence and stoking up" tensions. Update: Date: 14:16 BST Title: No certainty over when protests will end Content: When asked how long the protests could continue for, Mr Harrington was unsure. He says: "I'm expecting, because I am ever the optimist, there will continue to be a number of lawful and peaceful people. "Policing will make sure people, as best we can, can go about their business safely." Update: Date: 14:12 BST Title: Police will act on all crime, says chief constable Content: Mr Harrington is now reiterating that his officers will not hesitate to act on crimes allegedly committed by asylum seekers. "Where that happens, policing has and does intervene," he explains. "Like any other person in the community, we gather evidence. That's what we've done in this case and what we will do." He then referenced an incident last week that led to two hotel workers being "seriously assaulted", adding: "Two people who were there for a day's work." Update: Date: 14:07 BST Title: 'We aren't overwhelmed and outnumbered,' says police chief Content: Our reporter Stuart Woodward has just asked if Essex Police has the resources to staff future protests. He also repeated claims heard in court earlier this week that officers were "overwhelmed". Mr Harrington replies: "I don't think we were overwhelmed and outnumbered. "There are sufficient resources in place to make sure we can deal with any eventuality, supported by the rest of the country as required. "We will be here to enforce the law and allow people to carry out their rights. We will have the support of the government and the rest of policing in order to do that." Update: Date: 14:03 BST Title: Officers did not drive people to the protest - chief constable Content: People have got the right to protest if they are "peaceful and lawful", the chief constable is now saying. He stresses the majority of people turning up at The Bell Hotel have behaved responsibly - and he thanked them for that. When asked if officers drove pro-migrant protesters to the hotel, Mr Harrington says: "We have not driven people to the protest, people made their own way there. "We did take people away for their safety, for the safety of people there. To defuse the situation we drove people away." He goes on to ask people commenting online to "consider the consequences in the real world of your actions". Mr Harrington then says "irresponsible" protesters being violent is drawing officers away from other parts of Essex. Update: Date: 14:00 BST Title: 'We're giving protection to law-abiding people' Content: Mr Harrington is now taking questions from the media, having finished his speech. Asked if his officers are giving a "higher level of protection" to the pro-migrant demonstrators, he says: "I don't accept that. "The only protection our officers are giving is to the law-abiding people." He is then asked if he should resign after clashes between those demonstrators with rival protesters, but Mr Harrington says: "The issue is not about my resignation." Update: Date: 13:58 BST Title: Police warn of misinformation online Content: Addressing misinformation spreading online about the hotel and the policing operation, Mr Harrington urges people to be responsible in what they say. "There are real world consequences," he says. "Going forward we know there are a couple of protests that are advertised. We have a robust, and I stress robust, policing operation in place. "If you come here to commit crime, we will deal with that robustly." Update: Date: 13:56 BST Title: Essex Police say it is being 'absolutely impartial' Content: The senior officer now turns his attention to allegations made against an asylum seeker, who was living at The Bell Hotel, earlier this month. "Where people in these residences commit crime, we will deal with that as well," Mr Harrington says. "We are being absolutely impartial, policing according to the law." Mr Harrington praises the "bravery and commitment" of officers who he says have faced violence. Update: Date: 13:53 BST Title: Ten arrests made so far, police say Content: Mr Harrington thanks the "many peaceful" protesters who have attended to air their views. "What has been unacceptable has been the people who have come to Epping and committed violence," he continues. "Who have attacked people who worked at the hotel, who hurt officers and damaged the hotel." The chief constable says "thugs and vandals" have caused "fear and disruption" to the town, adding 10 arrests have been made so far. Update: Date: 13:51 BST Title: People cannot commit violence, says chief constable Content: We are now under way here in Boreham, hearing from Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington. "What's important to Essex Police are the communities of Epping, the communities of Essex and rights of everyone there to go about their business lawfully and peacefully," he begins. "What it is not about is allowing to people commit crime, violence or disrupt those communities. "It is important we police according to the law as it is, not how people want it to be." Update: Date: 13:45 BST Title: Police giving update - watch live Content: Police are now giving an update - press watch live above to follow along. Update: Date: 13:38 BST Title: Conference delayed due to volume of journalists arriving Content: Stuart WoodwardReporting from the press conference The press conference is a little delayed here at the moment due to extra journalists arriving, I've been told. There are about 20 or so reporters already here, gathering to hear what Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper from Essex Police has to say. After we hear from ACC Hooper, Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington will speak to the media. Update: Date: 13:21 BST Title: Journalists gather ahead of press conference Content: Reporters from national and local media outlets have gathered at the press conference in Boreham, near Chelmsford. We're expecting it to get under way any moment now. Just a reminder, you can watch along live by clicking the "watch live" button at the top of this page. Update: Date: 13:03 BST Title: Watch press conference streamed live Content: You will be able to watch the press conference live by clicking the "watch live" button at the top of this page. We're expecting it to get under way in about 15 minutes, so stick with us. Update: Date: 12:54 BST Title: 'Chilled' town has been thrust into the national spotlight Content: Lewis AdamsLive reporter in Essex Epping has found itself at the centre of the national news agenda over the past 10 days. Controversy is not what the town is familiar with, being highly regarded for its ancient Epping Forest woodland and pleasant High Street. People living in Epping, who we spoke to this week, have described watching their "chilled" area turn into a hub of protests and tension. "It's not what you would expect really," said cafe owner Geoff Morris.
BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Epping asylum hotel protest a 'powder keg', says council leader
A council leader has described protests outside a hotel used to house asylum seekers as a "powder keg" Forest District Council's Conservative leader Chris Whitbread was speaking after more than 1,000 people gathered outside The Bell Hotel in the town in separate protests over two nights last activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, had said he would attend a further planned protest at the an interview with BBC Newsnight's Victoria Derbyshire, Whitbread said: "My concerns are for next week, or this week, if Tommy Robinson turns up... We really have got to get this back under control." The protests followed the arrest and charge of an asylum seeker on suspicion of alleged sexual assaults in the repeated calls for the hotel to stop housing asylum seekers following the incident. Six people have been arrested following the latest protest with one man accused of violent disorder. Whitbread said there were concerns about the location which is near a school and the town centre."Fair-minded people within the local community, initially protesting peacefully, want the hotel closed," he said. "I have to say, as the leader of the council, that's always been my position and the council's position. This is just not a suitable location. The sooner it's dealt with, the better."He said he sympathised with the "vulnerable" asylum seekers at the hotel but stressed locations which had "less impact on established communities" needed to be found by the Home Office. "It's a powder keg now and we need to get something done and we need the Home Office to listen," he if he had a message for Mr Yaxley-Lennon and his supporters, Mr Whitbread said: "Keep away, [you're] not welcome here in Epping Forest. "What we want to do is make sure our town stays peaceful and people can enjoy their lives here. That's the most important message to get through."Mr Yaxley-Lennon has been contacted for comment. Downing Street previously said the scenes at Epping were "clearly unacceptable".The prime minister's official spokesman said: "Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy but it's clearly unacceptable to see police coming under attack as they ensure that peaceful protest is able to take place." A Home Office spokeswoman had told the BBC the asylum system was under "unprecedented strain"."That was the situation the government inherited, but we have begun to restore order," she Police said it was disappointed to see the protest escalate into "mindless thuggery" after one officer was struck in the face with a bottle and taken to hospital for treatment. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Get our flagship newsletter with all the headlines you need to start the day. Sign up here.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
‘We can't walk safely day or night': How an Essex town reached boiling point over a migrant hotel
Epping Forest. Ancient woodland, historic royal hunting ground, Site of Special Scientific Interest – and now the latest violent flashpoint between police and protesters over the incendiary issue of migrant hotels. At its centre is The Bell Hotel, where ugly scenes have played out after 38-year-old Ethiopian asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu was arrested and charged with three counts of sexual assault after an incident in which he is alleged to have tried to kiss a 14-year-old girl. He denied the charge when he appeared at Chelmsford magistrates' court and has been remanded in custody. Meanwhile the focus of local outrage has been the Bell, a 79-room hotel believed to house asylum seekers. Last Sunday, violence erupted at a protest which saw more than 1,000 people gather outside the hotel, leading to six arrests, after bottles and smoke flares were thrown towards police vehicles. This was the fourth demonstration in just nine days. Some were peaceful, others less so; eight police sustained injuries in clashes last Thursday, and six people were arrested yesterday. Whilst many who have taken to the streets seem intent on airing their discontent in an orderly manner – carrying banners bearing slogans such as 'Make Epping Safe Again' and 'I'm not far-Right, I'm worried about my kids' – others appear to have had less honourable intentions. The weekend's demonstrations were polluted by some far-Right rabble rousers as well as counter-protesters, who weighed in, some wearing balaclavas, under the banner of 'anti-racism'. Nigel Farage, the Reform leader, has blamed 'bad eggs' from the anti-fascist group Antifa and 'far-Right thugs' for the ugly scenes of unrest. After the drama of police lining up in riot gear, today marks the calm after the storm. But in truth it is just a temporary lull: another demonstration is planned for the weekend coming. Locals do not appear to endorse angry clashes – everyone I talk to insists that peaceful protest is the only way forward – but a mood of resentment is fomenting amid feelings of frustration and fear. 'I have a 12-year-old daughter who is now on holiday for six weeks – I can't let her out knowing there are predators on the street,' says one 44-year-old construction boss, out walking his beagle at lunchtime. 'But why should she have to be kept indoors while a load of foreigners walk free? 'I'm not a racist, I have friends who are Asian, friends who are black. This is about the fact that successive governments have poured taxpayers' money into providing for people who enter our country illegally and then commit crimes. Right now nobody seems to be entering, or leaving, the Bell. Security guards in the hotel's foyer have reportedly instructed those believed to be being housed there not to speak to the press. The area is still reeling from the media glare. A well-to-do area of smart £571,000 terraced houses, detached properties and pricey villas – a four-bed converted barn is currently on the market for £1.25 million – it boasts excellent links to the city by rail and Underground. No small wonder, then, that it is highly attractive to couples with young families in search of bigger homes and better schools, surrounded by the acres of green space inner-city dwellers can only dream of. Amid the lovingly-tended gardens and smart cars in gated driveways, The Bell Hotel is a shabby-looking edifice well past its prime, despite the sign reading 'Banqueting Suite & Conference Rooms'. A long, low, modern accommodation block is concealed behind a hedge. Fencing has been erected in the car park to block off the building and numerous notices read 'This Hotel is closed for (sic) general public'. Its TripAdvisor rating remains online however; a dismal 2.7. Judging by the reviews, there appear to have been no new guests since August 2021 but someone calling themselves Roving22251070829 has added a comment on July 18 to reflect the high emotions outside the premises. 'Infested. Disgusting. Unsafe,' it reads. 'The owners have sold their souls. Avoid at all costs, especially if you have children. Check recent news.' What recent news will do for the wider reputation of Epping remains to be seen. But the beauty of the surroundings, where deer and heritage English longhorns roam at will, is incontestable. Incongruously, right across the road stands a corner of forest, edged with silver birch and oak, field elm. and briars heavy with early blackberries. 'We moved out of the inner city for a quieter pace of life, but the riots are a reminder of the terrible problems Britain has at a national level,' says one mother, pushing a buggy, who prefers not to be named. 'Something needs to be done about random hotels full of asylum seekers being dumped in residential areas. It's a crazy idea.' Crazy maybe, but increasingly a fact of life for communities across the country. Indeed, the cost of housing migrants has tripled to £4m a day as new arrivals continue to make it to Britain's shores at pace. There were 38,000 migrants housed in hotels as of the end of last year, and a further 66,000 asylum seekers in 'dispersed accommodation', predominantly made up of self-catering houses and flats. It would be easy to lambast locals in places such as Epping as racist. Easy but unfair – and deeply unhelpful. Truthfully, who amongst us would want to live next to a hotel, housing dozens of displaced individuals, overwhelmingly male, without employment, milling around day after day without purpose? 'Me and my sister went to the first protest on Sunday the 13th, which had a lovely, family atmosphere,' a grandmother in her 70s tells me. 'We were quite open, saying we were there for the children and had no other agenda about race or religion. Our only aim was to protect our children. 'Now it's all kicking off. I won't be attending another, which is a shame, as the more of us who voice our unhappiness, the better.' Many commentators have described the events at The Bell Hotel as having come out of the blue. But that's not the full story. In April of this year, mother of three Orla Minihane, a Reform candidate for Epping and Theydon Bois, raised the issue of the believed migrant hotel at a council meeting – and was ejected for her troubles. Her apprehensions have proved to be prescient, but Minihane, who has spearheaded the peaceful protests, said the main focus now was conveying that demonstrators had legitimate concerns, and did not care about the race of the asylum seekers in the hotel. 'I wouldn't care if they were from Iceland, blonde, blue-eyed and Christian. At the end of the day they're strange men who nobody has checked,' she says. Minihane also unequivocally condemned the violence saying, 'we get branded as far-Right thugs', which takes focus away from the fact that 'the sexual abuse of young girls is not a Right or Left issue – it's a moral issue'. That sentiment is echoed throughout the town. For Patricia Martin, a 63-year-old former admin assistant, there is a deep disconnect between what happens in Westminster and what is taking place in the country as a whole. 'We don't know who these men are, we know nothing about their history or what terrible situation they may have escaped and the effect on their mental health,' she says. 'And we are expected to just let them into our town to wander freely around? The politicians who let this happen don't live like us, they use private healthcare and don't know or care about the impact this has on us.' She tells me about a friend of hers, a mother of four who has been homeless for nine years and has spent that time being shunted from one shabby local-authority-funded bed and breakfast to another. 'How come she has nobody on her side while a bunch of illegal immigrants only have to turn up to be given a roof over their heads? This country should start by looking after its own.' Similar views can be heard in other British towns home to migrant hotels. 'I don't think anybody in London even understands just how close we are to civil disobedience on a vast scale in this country,' Farage said on Monday. 'But do I understand how people in Epping feel? You bet your life I do.' Martin's cousin, Teresa Mann, 45, gives a shudder at the mention of the recent alleged assaults. As a mother, she is incensed that The Bell Hotel is so close to the local secondary school. 'These men come from other countries, other cultures where they have other attitudes towards women and girls,' she says. 'Siting any sort of accommodation near a school shows how little this problem has been thought through. 'If people come over here they should be put in a place where they can be monitored, their cases looked at quickly and then immediately sent packing if they have no right to be here. Yes they may be fleeing war or whatever but that is no excuse to go about abusing young girls.' Chris Whitbread, the Conservative leader of Epping Forest District Council, said the local authority had opposed plans for a migrant hotel in the area. The next demonstration, again led by Minihane, is due to take place next Sunday in front of the hotel. Before then she has challenged the authorities to be more transparent about who is being housed there and what is the plan for them going forward. 'A lack of transparency on the part of the authorities has increased tensions; if you withhold information, you make people suspicious,' she says, adding that the sight of women standing shoulder to shoulder will send a powerful signal to the government. 'Right now we can't walk safely in our community day or night,' says Minihane, who has lived in the area since she was 12 years old. 'Our message is that we live here – it's our right to be safe.'
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Questions about migrant hotels prevented under councils' privacy rules
Communities are not being informed about migrant hotels in their areas because it would undermine the privacy of new arrivals. Asylum seekers have been housed in hotels across the UK, often without residents being alerted. But this has raised concerns among residents and councils. This comes days after anti-migrant protesters clashed with police outside a hotel believed to house asylum seekers in Essex. Chris Whitbread, the leader of Epping Forest council, called for the Bell Hotel to be shut down after an Ethiopian asylum seeker allegedly sexually assaulted a teenager. It has been claimed that under privacy rules, the immigration status of those housed in the temporary accommodation cannot be shared with the public. Newcastle city council said that it could not inform residents that a city-centre hotel was being used by the Home Office to house migrants, saying: 'We would not share a resident's personal information with other residents, unless we had specific legal reasons to do so.' The council suggested the Home Office would be bound by the same rules. The Home Office is responsible for providing asylum accommodation and makes decisions about housing new arrivals independently of local authorities, some of which have become uneasy with the presence of migrant hotels. There are now thought to be more than 200 similar hotels across the UK, housing around 32,000 people at a projected cost of £15bn by 2029 – five times the annual cost of Britain's nuclear deterrent. In Altrincham, near Manchester, residents complained that there was an 'information vacuum' about a hotel. West Oxfordshire council has in the past complained that even councillors were not informed about plans to move in migrants. Tower Hamlets, the London borough with the largest Bangladeshi population in the UK, has told The Telegraph that 'we do not announce when asylum seeker hotels are stood up in the borough, nor do we announce when a refugee comes'. However, the presence of migrants in communities is often noticed by residents who have not been officially informed but have raised concerns about new arrivals. Police have pledged to instruct migrants in 'appropriate behaviours' after residents of Deanshanger, in Northamptonshire, raised concerns about the behaviour of new arrivals living in a hotel near a primary school. Officers drew up a PowerPoint presentation for asylum seekers in hotels on the key points of UK culture, including the fact that women 'have the same rights as men' and 'must be treated with respect and courtesy'. It warned: 'If you harass or abuse any female, you can be arrested.' It comes as illegal Channel migrant crossings are on course to hit a record total this year.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
What did they think would happen? The Bell hotel has stood in the in a leafy village for decades. Dozens of migrants moved in. Then a sex assault charge sparked angry riots
I've been standing outside The Bell Hotel on the outskirts of Epping Forest for less than five minutes when a car horn pierces the summer afternoon peace. 'I hope they burn it down later,' a man driving a BMW shouts towards us from the High Road which leads to Epping's charming high street. It's Thursday afternoon, and a demonstration, whipped up on local WhatsApp groups, is planned to gather outside the hotel in a matter of hours. More cars will pass this rundown accommodation, well past its heyday but previously described as 'personality-packed', with drivers beeping and shouting 'come on England', 'f*** the migrants' and 'send them home!' The two workmen fixing up a temporary barrier to fence off a building site directly next door are not surprised – they have been enduring taunts all day from people who think they are working at the hotel. Such an offence would be an egregious act of betrayal to many in this leafy and rather affluent corner of the Essex commuter belt – whose nearby residents include Sir Rod Stewart and TV presenter Bradley Walsh – which over the past week has become a tinderbox and microcosm for the outrage felt nationwide about Britain's immigration crisis. That is because The Bell is one of (at least) 220 hotels housing asylum seekers at taxpayers' expense, including those who have arrived in the UK illegally by small boat or other means. And this month, one such asylum seeker was charged with sexual offences having allegedly left The Bell, walked onto Epping's high street and assaulted two girls aged 14 and 16 just eight days after arriving in Britain. One of the protestors jumps up and down on a police van while wrapped in the St George's flag News spread quickly on social media, and in the past week alone, Epping has endured two violent protests attended by hundreds. One of the workers told the Mail: 'People have been calling us 'terrorist sympathisers' and 'traitors'. People are so angry. 'We've got nothing to do with it [the hotel]. I actually think you should claim asylum in the first safe country you pass through. But it's down to that idiot Starmer that we are where we are.' This is the bleak reality of the government's failure to get to grips with immigration. More than 21,000 migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats since the start of the year – a 56 per cent rise on the same period in 2024. And in May, the National Audit Office said the government's spending on asylum accommodation is due to cost more than £15billion over ten years – three times what was originally estimated when the contracts were signed by the Conservative administration in 2019. Last week's violence came just weeks before the first anniversary of anti-immigration riots following the Southport murders, which resulted in attempts to burn down hotels housing asylum seekers. And on the strength of feeling displayed again this week, unless there is urgent change, it is clear things are only going to escalate. The 79-room Bell Hotel has been home to around 100 migrants on and off since 2020, when the Home Office booked thousands of hotel rooms across the country to house migrants entering Britain as the Covid pandemic took hold. The measure, intended to be temporary, initially lasted four years until, in January last year, it was announced that The Bell's asylum seeker contract was being terminated by the Home Office to end in April. However, migrants began returning there earlier this year, prompting tensions – already simmering in the area – to bubble to the surface. It is not difficult to see why emotions are running high. Epping is a tight-knit and not particularly ethnically diverse community, somewhat ironically housing many who moved from London's East End to enjoy a more rural setting. As Tory councillor Chris Whitbread, the leader of Epping Forest District Council, said, the site is 'entirely inappropriate'. 'Placing vulnerable individuals from a wide range of cultural backgrounds into an unsupervised setting in the centre of a small town, without the proper infrastructure, support or services, is both reckless and unacceptable,' he added. The majority of locals spoken to by the Mail were more vocal. They said they regularly see migrants leave the hotel to drink and smoke in green spaces – claiming they 'leer' at girls and young women, make sexually inappropriate comments and steal from local shops. However it is difficult to ascertain any truth, as much of the testimony is second and third hand hearsay or spread on social media. But against this backdrop, anti-migrant demonstrators clashed with counter-protesters outside The Bell in ugly scenes on Sunday, with two hotel security guards assaulted and left bloodied. Police armed with riot shields form a barrier across the road following a major public order incident in Epping on Thursday The violence came after it emerged Ethiopian-born Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, had been arrested and charged with three counts of sexual assault shortly after arriving in Britain and being housed at The Bell. Last Thursday, he appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court, which heard he allegedly walked into Epping, put his hand on a 14-year-old schoolgirl's leg and asked for a kiss. He allegedly asked her: 'Who wants to have a kiss and make love and have Jamaican babies?' The following day – July 8 – he approached the same girl and tried to kiss her as well as a 16-year-old girl, the court heard. Kebatu denies the offences and will stand trial next month. Social media was ablaze on Wednesday evening with talk of a demonstration at the hotel the following day. At around 5pm on Thursday, crowds started to gather outside The Bell. Inside, there was little sign of life other than security guards coming and going. A temporary metal fence had been erected since the violence first flared on Sunday evening. Discarded beer bottles and cigarette packets could be seen on the ground outside while, surprisingly, in one bedroom window at least three bottles of Moet champagne were in view. The protest began peacefully enough. Among the 300 or so in attendance were women and children. However the vast majority, it must be said, were burly tattooed men. A minority wore masks or balaclavas and some brought their large bull mastiff or Dobermann dogs. Orla Minihane, a finance worker and a Reform candidate for the local council, said she was there as a mother who wants to 'protect our kids'. 'It is not about Left and Right [wing],' she said. 'The fact is that we have these men who are coming here, are not screened and we don't know who they are. 'It's not about politics, it's about local people and children that have to be kept safe. It's a parent's fundamental duty to do so.' A retired black cab driver watching as the crowd grew larger – by now featuring young men waving Union Jack flags and a van bearing a sign saying 'protect our kids' – said he was there because 'immigration is getting worse'. The grandfather-of-eight, 78, who declined to give his name, added: 'You have a young girl here who was allegedly accosted. We want to know what the government is going to do about its immigration policy. It's all out of order. We're not even deporting immigrants who are breaking the law. How can that be right?' As the crowd swelled, it became clear is that – despite claims the anger is because of local issues – more overtly political factions were looking to hijack the event for their own purposes. There were the YouTubers such as 'Brexit' Brian Stovell, who regularly protests at migrant hotels and had travelled from his home in Croydon, south London, to keep his 7,000 subscribers updated. There was also a live YouTube broadcast from a man representing Urban Scoop, a 'news organisation' set up by football hooligan-turned-campaigner Tommy Robinson, recently released from prison after being jailed for contempt of court. Shortly after 6pm, word began making its way through the crowd that the 'lefties' were en route – a group of anti-racism campaigners led by Stand Up To Racism (SUTR), which had arranged to meet at Epping Tube station. Immediately, the mood changed, and it was clear many were expecting violence. As dozens of people headed in the direction of the counter-protesters, I witnessed one man wrapping his hands like a boxer. Others wore masks and latex gloves. It felt like being catapulted into a football hooligan film as an extra. Soon, fireworks, bottles and eggs were being thrown as dozens of police officers in riot gear were forced to surround the counter-demonstrators who were grossly outnumbered. Weyman Bennett, a member of SUTR who attended, said: 'Britain is a peaceful country in which people should be allowed to go about their business without being attacked.' Then attention turned on the officers themselves, with one police van having its windscreen smashed while another was stopped by the crowd as a man draped in a St George's flag clambered onto its roof. Later, a police van was filmed driving into a demonstrator who was trying stop it from leaving the area. Tonight, Essex Police confirmed that eight officers were assaulted in the melee and suffered a range of minor injuries. Two men were arrested on public order offences. Assistant chief constable Stuart Hooper, drawing a distinction between the initially 'peaceful' protest and a group intent on violence, said: 'All these criminals are doing is taking away the voice of local people who want to protest legitimately and peacefully. 'With the selfish criminal behaviour we saw last night, all that happens is the voice of the community is lost, their lives are disrupted and their police officers are pulled away from the things that matter to them – investigating and preventing other crime – to deal with a mindless minority who don't give a damn about the hard working, good people of Epping.' Council leader Mr Whitbread also hit out at the ugly scenes. 'I am deeply disappointed… some individuals chose to engage in violent and disruptive behaviour. I condemn their actions,' he said. Feelings are now running so strong, that it seems any attempt to offer a hand of friendship to The Bell's residents is immediately shut down. On a Facebook community page for Epping, when a woman complained about the hotel's residents being 'intimidated' and said she would 'rather live in an area where asylum seekers are welcomed and helped, than an area where people feel it's OK to threaten others who are seeking a better life', the vast majority of those who responded attempted to castigate her. Indeed, back on Epping's high street, with its independent cafes, boutique hotel and pretty pubs, it's hard to find anyone who doesn't have concerns about The Bell Hotel and its residents. Retired plumber Maxine, 59, said: 'It's changed the community. If that makes me racist then so be it. If people want to label me, they are being narrow-minded. I'm a decent, fair person.' But perhaps intriguingly, away from the hearsay and venom of social media, one of the people most affected by The Bell's housing of asylum seekers – its immediate neighbour – last week said he had encountered no issues. 'I had more issues when it was a hotel,' he told the Mail. 'I've never had a problem with them. They give me no trouble at all.' But yesterday, Neil Hudson, Conservative MP for Epping Forest, said the hotel was becoming a magnet for anti-asylum protesters across the country and called on Home Secretary Yvette Copper to shut it down 'immediately'. Mr Hudson told BBC the situation had become 'very, very tense'. He paid tribute to the police for attempting to keep order, but said the hotel should be shut to prevent further violence. 'The hotel needs to close immediately,' he said. 'The scenes we saw in Epping were deeply troubling and upsetting for the local community. 'We respect the right to peaceful protest, and many people were there to peacefully protest... but we had hundreds of people descending on our town, people wanting to raise violence. 'That is completely unacceptable and that is why we are calling on the Home Secretary to act now and close this hotel.'
