Peaceful protest outside Epping asylum hotel
Essex Police said a group of people protesting against The Bell Hotel in Epping formed at about 6pm on Thursday.
Officers then facilitated a march in the town's High Street, by the same group, and no arrests were made.
Multiple demonstrations have been held outside The Bell Hotel since July 13 after an asylum seeker was charged with allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl.
Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, who was charged with sexual assault, denies the charges.
He is due to stand trial in August.
Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said: 'The calm and peaceful nature of tonight's protest meant that we have not arrested anyone during the march, and I want to thank those who attended and made that possible.
'As a force, we will continue to facilitate the right to protest when it is both peaceful and lawful.'
Police put a dispersal order in place ahead of the protest from 3pm on Thursday to 8am on Friday, giving officers the power to direct anyone suspected of committing anti-social behaviour to leave the area.
A Section 60AA order, which prevents people from wearing face coverings, is also in place from 3pm on Thursday until 3pm on Friday.
Essex Police previously said 14 people have been charged in connection with recent protests at the site and there have been 23 arrests.
Concerns about the use of the Bell Hotel to house asylum seekers were expressed in an open letter sent to the Home Secretary from political leaders in Essex on Wednesday.
In the letter, the politicians say housing migrants at the site is 'proving to be entirely unsuitable' and 'placing an unsustainable strain on police resources'.
Protesters also gathered outside the Stanwell Hotel in Spelthorne, Surrey on Thursday.
Spelthorne Borough Council previously said it had 'expressed strong opposition' to the Home Office's intention to change the client group at the hotel to provide only for male asylum seekers.
In a letter to the Home Secretary, Councillor Joanne Sexton said the council was 'determined to avoid circumstances that could lead to civil unrest'.
Spelthorne Borough Council said on Thursday that the Home Office had agreed to speak to the council on Friday to 'discuss the proposals in greater detail'.
In a statement, the council said: 'We want to reassure residents that the council is fully aware of the concerns expressed by the community and is committed to raising these directly with the Home Office during the meeting.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Home Office pauses asylum hotel plans in Spelthorne
Government plans to exclusively house male asylum seekers at a hotel have been paused. It comes as Surrey Police put a dispersal order in place in Stanwell, which allows officers to remove individuals who are causing or likely to cause disorder or crime. The force said it took the step following reports of criminal damage and anti-social behaviour after 100 people protested outside The Stanwell Hotel on Thursday. Spelthorne Borough Council (SBC) says families, including vulnerable women and children, seeking asylum are currently staying at the hotel. 'Integrating well' SBC leader Joanne Sexton had warned that a Home Office proposal to house men at the hotel was causing concern in the local community. She added it would also mean that the families - who she said were "integrating well and building community ties" - would be relocated. Ms Sexton welcomed the "temporary pause" by the government, which met with SBC on Friday. But she said she was "still concerned about the potential consequences of the proposed changes and the impact they will have". The Home Office has said it is fixing a "broken system" and that the security of local communities around hotels was always a "paramount concern". "From over 400 asylum hotels open in summer 2023, costing almost £9m a day, there are now less than 210," it added."We want them all closed by the end of this Parliament."Asylum seekers in hotels fell by almost 6,000 in the first three months of 2025 - down 15% from December, according to the Home Office. More talks planned The Surrey Police dispersal order, in place until 21:29 BST on Saturday, covers Town Lane, Trinity Close, St. Mary's Crescent, Village Park and Lauser Park."We respect the right to peaceful protest and will facilitate this wherever possible where it is safe to do so," said Surrey Police. "However, criminal offences and public disorder will not be tolerated."We will take robust action against anyone who commits a criminal offence," the force added. An SBC meeting is due to take place on 7 August to discuss the matter further.
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Bonnie Blue doc fury as kids can watch despite strict new porn age-check rules
Channel 4 is facing probes by politicians and broadcasting regulator Ofcom over the documentary about the former Only Fans content creator, who claims to have had sex with 1,057 men in 12 hours The shadow Home Office minister has labelled it 'bizarre' that children can view a TV documentary about sex marathon star Bonnie Blue, despite new stringent age checks designed to prevent them from accessing pornography. Channel 4 is currently under scrutiny by lawmakers and Ofcom, the broadcasting watchdog, for airing a show about the ex-Only Fans content creator who boasts of sleeping with 1,057 men in just 12 hours. Despite the channel's policy requiring viewers to be at least 16 to create an account, the absence of a robust age verification system allows minors to simply falsify their birth dates to gain access. It comes after Katie Price worries fans with appearance in family photo after explaining weight loss. The programme, which includes explicit scenes of Bonnie nude, engaging in sexual acts, and creating adult films with other porn stars, seems to contradict the Government's fresh Online Safety Act that mandates age verification to block underage users from adult content websites. When quizzed on Times Radio about the feasibility of a credible online safety framework given the ease of accessing such material on a public broadcaster's platform, shadow Home Office minister Katie Lam remarked: "It seems bizarre to me," reports the Daily Star. She added, "There is clearly a consistency problem both in terms of content and in terms of platform." However, Channel 4 has defended its streaming service, insisting that it employs industry-standard controls to prevent those under 18 from viewing content that's not suitable for their age group. Bonnie Blue - whose real name is Tia Billinger from Nottinghamshire - has boasted of raking in as much as £1.5 million monthly through the OnlyFans platform via publicity stunts including her world record bid to sleep with the maximum number of men within a 24-hour period - until she received a ban from the platform. Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson admitted she hadn't realised just how accessible the documentary was for viewers to watch. When questioned whether Channel 4 had erred in airing the programme and if Ofcom ought to step in, she responded: "That's an important question that I think is worth considering." She continued: "I am very happy to go away and consider that.". The spokesman said: "I haven't actually clicked on in the way that you suggested is available.". The spokesman said: "But I'm very happy to do that and to look and to raise it with the technology secretary Peter Kyle." Fresh legislation called the Online Safety Act came into force last week, aimed at safeguarding youngsters on the internet by establishing fresh regulations for social media platforms and search engines. The most robust safeguards within the legislation were crafted to stop children from viewing dangerous and unsuitable material. This encompassed age checks for adult websites like YouPorn. The documentary - titled 1000 Men and Me: The Bonnie Blue Story - tracks the influencer as cameras document her everyday existence. The documentary synopsis reveals that it delves 'behind the headlines, clickbait and rage bait to discover what life's really like in Bonnie's wild orbit, how she got here and what's really going on behind those steely blue eyes'. It also probes the contentious question surrounding her - is she a 'dangerous predator' pandering to male fantasies and perpetuating the patriarchy, or an empowered, sex-positive businesswoman having the last laugh? Audiences were taken aback by the content. One viewer expressed their shock on Twitter: "Literally 3 seconds in and Bonnie Blue is already disgusting." Before its release, director Victoria Silver emphasised the importance of explicit scenes for the documentary. She stated: "If I was making a film about a musician or some other kind of performer their work would be in there.". The spokesman said: "I think it's really important to see what she does." Channel 4's commissioning editor Tim Hancock argued that it was the broadcaster's 'job to tell stories like this that are at the edge of modern morality'.
The Independent
6 hours ago
- The Independent
Ninja sword ban comes into effect across the UK
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper became emotional discussing Ronan Kanda, a 16-year-old murdered with a ninja sword in Wolverhampton in 2022. A ban on ninja swords, campaigned for by Ronan's mother, has now come into effect across the UK. Pooja Kanda, who received an OBE for her efforts, showed Ms Cooper CCTV of Ronan's last affectionate goodbye before his death by mistaken identity. Under the new legislation, known as Ronan's Law, possession of ninja swords now carries a penalty of up to six months in prison, set to rise to two years. The Home Office has also introduced measures requiring retailers to report suspicious sales and increased sentences for selling illegal blades or weapons to children.
