Migrant hotel in Essex is graffitied with slogans telling asylum seekers to 'go home' after violent protests broke out when Ethiopian resident was charged with sexually assaulting girl

Daily Mail​

15-07-2025

A migrant hotel where a protest erupted into violence after anti-immigration campaigners clashed with 'anti-racism' demonstrators has been daubed in graffiti telling asylum seekers to 'go home'.
Uniformed police officers were seen at the Bell Hotel in Epping this morning in discussion with private security guards outside the front of the shabby hostel located on the edge of the historic forest.
Signs in the front door warned visitors the the hotel was 'not open to the public' and that the car parking spaces were 'no longer a public car park'.
Slogans including 'Go Home', 'Die' and 'This Is England' have been sprayed on to two of the large front windows of the hotel.
Meanwhile workmen were seen hastily erecting a wood-panel fence around one side of the front of the property.
At least one window in an annex building of the hotel appears to have been broken in the weekend disturbance, with plastic now covering the window frame.
The hotel accommodation is made up of a number of buildings - the historic front block which bears the iconic bell, a newly constructed red brick building and other buildings behind.
All of the bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms with free toiletries and a sitting area. The hotel also has a sprawling garden and a library and self-service kitchen facilities.
The graffiti comes days after a protest outside the hotel descended into bloody mayhem as activists brawled on the streets.
Hundreds of people had rallied at the venue on Sunday after a 38-year-old African asylum seeker was accused of committing three sexual assaults - nine days after allegedly arriving in the UK illegally by boat.
Police were forced to break up a fight between two men as large crowds jeered, with some shouting: 'F***ing nonce', 'f*** off back to Walthamstow' and 'paedos'.
The outburst of disorder ignited on Sunday evening, with shocking footage appearing to show one man bleeding heavily from his head as he limped to the hotel.
'Go home you c***, go home. F*** off back on your boat and go,' one man is heard screeching as the injured male hobbles his way past a line of police officers.
In another clip, two men are seen punching one another and wrestling next to a car before police charge in to break up the brawl.
While in a third video, a large crowd of people - some of whom were waving the flag of St George - were seen massing opposite the three-star hotel and repeatedly chanting 'protect our kids', as about a dozen police stood guard.
Father-of-three Adam Brooks, an anti-knife campaigner whose dad was brutally stabbed to death when he was a child, was among those at the protest.
The Essex-based publican said: 'There's a protest because a migrant is alleged and was charged with sexual assault against a young girl in Epping High Road last week.
'There are worried mothers, worried children, there's grandmothers, fathers, uncles, grandads, and we've got an anti-racism lot that have turned up.
'Things are getting heated here. I just cannot believe that an anti-racism mob would turn up against something like this.'
In one video, police were seen escorting some counter-demonstrators away from the hotel as a huge crowd of people continued to jeer.
Some of the counter-protestors were seen holding signs saying 'Refugees Welcome: Stop The Far-Right'.
Nobody has reportedly been arrested following the disorder, which sparked after Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was charged with three counts of sexual assault, one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, and one count of harassment without violence.
Ethiopian national Kebatu reportedly arrived in Britain illegally on June 29, little more than a week before the alleged sex attacks took place.
Announcing the news of his arrest on Thursday, Essex Police said: 'We were alerted to reports of a man acting inappropriately towards a teenager in High Road, at 5.20pm on Tuesday July 8.
'Officers arrived quickly and arrested a man.
'As a result of the work of officers, offences against a woman and another teenager, which were separate to those which had taken place on Tuesday, were then reported for the first time and an investigation was launched.'
Kebatu was remanded in custody after a hearing at Colchester Magistrates' Court on Thursday. He denies any wrongdoing.
Following Kebatu's arrest, the district's Conservative leader wrote to the Home Secretary calling for The Bell Hotel's closure 'without delay'.
The Bell Hotel has been housing asylum seekers for about three years.
It used to charge a standard rate of £70 per night, with breakfast charged as extra, but has not accepted regular guests since 2022, it is understood.
The hotel is owned by British businessman, Hassanali Somani, who is based in Hertfordshire.
Mr Somani owns other hotels in Essex and Hertfordshire, including the Roebuck Inn, in Stevenage.
Essex Police will continue to have a presence in the area for the coming days, a spokesman for the force said.
Speaking after the protest broke up, Superintendent Tim Tubbs said: 'We respect everyone's right to protest, and we police without fear of favour – these are important fundamentals of our work when it comes to public order.
'We'll be working with all our partner agencies in the coming days to hear their thoughts and establish how we can provide the most effective police response for events like this in the future.
'As with all our policing of public events such as protests, we will review any body-worn video to ensure any offences are detected.'
Chris Whitbread, the leader of Epping Forest District Council, insisted the authority had 'consistently and repeatedly opposed' the use of the The Bell as a migrant hotel.
'From the outset, we warned the Home Office that this site is entirely inappropriate,' the council chief said in a statement.
'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.
'It puts pressure on local services, causes understandable concern for residents, and is unfair on those placed in the hotel.
'The Home Office must now face the reality of the situation. The Bell Hotel must be closed without delay. Our warnings have been ignored for too long.'
The council boss has set up a petition calling for the closure of The Bell Hotel - as well as the Phoenix Hotel in Bobbingworth, which also accommodates migrants. It has has received more than 4,500 signatures.
The petition says: 'We are also deeply concerned about rising community tensions. Epping Forest has a history of extreme far-right activity, including the presence of groups such as the Homeland Party and previously elected British National Party councillors.
'The Government's inaction risks fuelling division and undermining community cohesion. Our community feels ignored and let down. Epping Forest has been forced to carry an unfair burden in the ongoing illegal immigration crisis.'