logo
Protesters gather in Epping as bottles and flares are thrown

Protesters gather in Epping as bottles and flares are thrown

BBC News20-07-2025
Bottles and smoke flares have been thrown towards police vehicles during a protest at a hotel used to house asylum seekers.Hundreds of people have gathered at the site of the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, after a protest was organised for 18:00 BST.The disorder followed the arrest and charge of an asylum seeker on suspicion of alleged sexual assaults in the town.Essex Police announced it would enforce a Section 60AA order until Monday - to require the removal of face coverings - after unrest at the site on Thursday, which saw three arrests.
Demonstrators chanted "send them home" and "save our kids", as projectiles were thrown towards police vans blocking the entrance to the hotel.
A small number of protesters wore balaclavas and face coverings during the protest.The Section 60AA order comes after police said a protest on Thursday saw people wearing face coverings and "committing serious acts of disorder".A spokesperson for the force added: "We will deal robustly and quickly with anyone intent on coming into Epping to commit selfish criminal behaviour."The right to peaceful protest is protected by law and allows everyone freedom of expression, but this must be done respectfully and if there is a risk to public order we will act appropriately."The order was in place around Epping including its tube station.
Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Peterborough woman who attacked neighbour with a spade is jailed
Peterborough woman who attacked neighbour with a spade is jailed

BBC News

time4 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Peterborough woman who attacked neighbour with a spade is jailed

A 44-year-old woman has been jailed for 10 months after she attacked her neighbour with a spade, hitting him on the Lloyd of George Street, Peterborough, set about her victim outside his home in the Woodston area of the city on 14 May, following a dispute that had been going on for three man, who was in his 20s, was left with a cut to his head that needed hospital was sentenced by a judge at Peterborough Crown Court after admitting causing grievous bodily harm without intent. 'Move on' Cambridgeshire Police said the neighbours had been in dispute about "various issues".Det Con Lloyd Davis said: "Catherine Lloyd's behaviour in this case was completely unacceptable."Irrespective of any ongoing dispute, violence like this is not the answer."I'm pleased the victim can now move on." Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

Prison system was days from collapse three times under Sunak, review finds
Prison system was days from collapse three times under Sunak, review finds

The Guardian

time34 minutes ago

  • The Guardian

Prison system was days from collapse three times under Sunak, review finds

The criminal justice system was within days of collapse on three occasions before being bailed out by 'last-minute emergency measures', an independent review by a former prisons watchdog has found. Dame Anne Owers said the prison system, under pressure from overcrowding, was 'in crisis' between autumn 2023 and the summer of 2024, but No 10 under Rishi Sunak refused to cut the numbers in jail until 'the next predictable cliff edge'. Former ministers and officials interviewed by Owers 'expressed frustration and sometimes anger' at the failure to endorse a plan to avert crises and suspected that this was a deliberate move by Downing Street, she said. 'Many believed that the default position was to do as little as possible as late as possible, with the consequence that the system repeatedly reached the brink of collapse,' she said. The 25-page report into the teetering Prison Service, which remains at nearly 97.5% capacity, comes as the criminal justice system is expected to come under renewed pressure this weekend. Police have warned that they could arrest hundreds of people who plan to express support for Palestine Action on Saturday. Forces fear more incidents among people protesting outside hotels housing asylum seekers across Greater London, the north-east of England and East Anglia. The review, commissioned by the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, in February, detailed claims that Sunak's office waited until prisons were days from collapsing before acting – to the dismay of some ministers. 'Although departmental ministers were convinced by mid-2023 that some form of early release was both necessary and urgent, this required prime ministerial agreement, which was not forthcoming until the system was within three days of potential collapse, and only in incremental stages,' she wrote. She said Alex Chalk, the then justice secretary, called for an early release scheme from mid-2023 for prisoners who had received standard determinate sentences, but received no backing. Chalk had made clear, she said, that he 'was advocating, without success, a version of the SDS early release scheme in order to get ahead of the crisis, rather than the minimal salami-slicing approach that was eventually taken'. 'Without exception, all those the review spoke to expressed frustration and sometimes anger at the reluctance to accept and then act on the well-documented and imminent crisis, or to agree any coherent plan to avert it,' she wrote. After the general election was called in May 2024, Sunak called emergency Cobra meetings to discuss 'invoking emergency powers' to release prisoners early if the criminal justice system collapsed. 'This might be necessary to avert the risk of public disorder if the criminal justice system collapsed during the election campaign,' the report disclosed. On three occasions, the Sunak government used early release schemes, employing powers designed to allow release on compassionate grounds, the report said. Civil servants were concerned that there would be an investigation into the mismanagement of prisons, the report said. 'Senior officials were so concerned about a potential breakdown in the criminal justice system that an audit was kept of all decision-making and documents, in case there was a public or parliamentary inquiry,' the report found. In October 2023, Chalk announced plans to free prisoners 18 days early under the end of custody supervised licence, which was later extended to 35 days and then 70 days. More than 13,000 were released under the scheme. One of Labour's first acts after forming a government last year was to announce a plan to release offenders with standard determinate sentences after they had served 40% of their term. Recommendations from David Gauke's sentencing review, which proposed less jail time for thousands of offenders, including some violent criminals and domestic abusers, are in the process of being implemented. Commenting on the Owers report, Mahmood said it 'lays bare the disgraceful way the last Conservative government ran our prisons. They added less than 500 cells to the prison estate over 14 years, released over 10,000 prisoners early under a veil of secrecy, and brought our jails close to total collapse on countless occasions.' The Conservatives and Sunak have been approached for comment. Andrew Neilson, the director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: 'This review into prison capacity spells out in forensic detail how the government has found itself facing the prospect of running out of cells. It is a crisis, or more accurately a series of crises, that has been brewing over several decades and across successive governments.'

Former Essex police constable dismissed after defacing cell door
Former Essex police constable dismissed after defacing cell door

BBC News

time34 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Former Essex police constable dismissed after defacing cell door

A police constable has been dismissed without notice for defacing a cell door with offensive comments about a Police said a misconduct hearing chaired by Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington on 28 July found that ex-PC Daniel Palmer had committed gross Harrington said: "This behaviour is plainly unacceptable. "Ex-PC Palmer has done a disservice to thousands of hard-working officers who uphold the high standardsof anyone representing Essex Police... " Barred list He also said Mr Palmer's actions wasted "precious time and money" that could have been used to prevent and detect crime. A statement issued by the force said Mr Palmer was alleged to have breached "standards of authority" and "respect and courtesy".Mr Palmer was also added to the College of Policing barred list, which means he is prohibited from working in the police force said the cell door had to be replaced. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store