Officers attacked at hotel protest, say police

Police officers were assaulted and their vehicles were damaged during a protest at a hotel used to house asylum seekers, Essex Police has said.

Hundreds of people protesting about the use of the hotel were at the site in Epping on Thursday, as well as a smaller pro-refugee demonstration.

The force said one officer suffered minor injuries to their neck and said the hotel itself was damaged.

Some protesters threw eggs and set off fireworks, a police spokesperson added.

Officers closed a section of High Road in Epping "for the safety of the public and those protesting".

The force said it had identified suspects who had carried out the criminal damage and assaulted officers, and was analysing footage from body-worn cameras, drones and social media.

"We know the people who carried out these crimes do not represent Epping or Essex," said Ch Supt Simon Anslow.

"Nothing about the offending we saw tonight is representative of these communities, or the peaceful event that ended before this started."

Ch Supt Anslow said earlier demonstrations that took place at the site were peaceful, lawful and responsible.

Last week, Chris Whitbread, the Conservative leader of Epping Forest District Council, called for the Home Office to stop housing asylum seekers at the hotel.

He was joined by two local Tory MPs - Epping Forest's Neil Hudson and Alex Burghart, who represents Brentwood and Ongar. They claimed the Home Office did not understand the "seriousness of this situation".

It followed the arrest of an asylum seeker on suspicion of alleged sexual assaults in the town.

Weyman Bennett, a member of Stand Up To Racism who attended the rally, said: "Britain is a peaceful country in which people should be allowed to go about their business without being attacked."

Millie Smith, who lives in Epping and attended the rally, said: "There has been a lot of misinterpretation of who is here and why they are here."

Ch Supt Anslow continued: "Disruption and offending is never an appropriate response, no matter the strength of feeling in this case, and on this issue."

The Home Office said it had "begun to restore order [to the asylum system], with a rapid increase in asylum decision-making and the removal of more than 24,000 people with no right to be in the UK".

A 65-year-old man from Harlow was arrested on Thursday, in relation to an alleged assault which happened close to the hotel on Sunday.

He was charged with affray and was released on bail. He is due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court in September.