'I was praying for my life': Asylum seeker recalls hiding inside besieged hotel during summer riots
Faustin Karake, known to his friends as Eric, fled the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2010 after his mother and father were murdered in their home during civil unrest.
Now, 15 years on, he continues to live in limbo awaiting asylum - unable to work, get a home or settle into life in the UK.
He attempted to build a life for himself in Plymouth before he was told he would have to move elsewhere in the country.
On the evening of 4 August, the asylum hotel in Tamworth where Eric was being housed was targeted by anti-immigration protestors.
A mob launched rocks, fireworks and petrol bombs at the windows of the hotel which had 180 asylum seekers inside.
In an interview with ITV News West Country Eric, who has now been rehoused in Oxford, recalls the night he, and his fellow asylum seekers, feared they might die.
'Inside (the hotel) we've got some people that look after us. So they told us before what (was happening).
'They come to tell us - if anything going to happen here just be quiet, don't be scared, don't shout, don't come out of the house, you need to stay inside.
'Loads of (protestors came), loads of people was angry, they come with many things.
'(They were) shouting, banging doors, throwing stones on the walls, the doors, the window.
'It was scary. It was really very, very, scary.
'When you're in that situation you've no option - you have to stay quiet and wait [to see] what is going to happen. It was very scary.
'I was scared. I was scared in case, if they're going to come in we're going to get killed or something.
'It was dangerous. You had to pray, put my knee down and pray, ask God to help me and that's it.
'I was praying for my life. Praying for the whole hotel as well. I encouraged people to pray - I tell people pray if you Muslim, pray if you Christian, pray, you need to pray, we need help from God as we can't do nothing.
'You could die you know, you could die easily, because people were very angry, very, very, very angry.
'The police were involved, so they tried to do their best.
'You can't say nothing [to the protestors]. Everything you say they're going to argue with, they're not going to accept it. By myself I can't do nothing.
'If the government can teach people how to love each other, to accept anything, change can happen.
'It's not everybody - you cannot blame a whole country.
'I've got hope, of course. I've still got hope.'
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