logo
Arrest made as dozens gather outside Essex hotel ‘housing asylum seekers'

Arrest made as dozens gather outside Essex hotel ‘housing asylum seekers'

More than 100 demonstrators assembled outside the Bell Hotel in Epping on Sunday evening, with some chanting 'save our kids'.
Some set off flares in blue and red, while others held signs which read 'deport foreign criminals', 'we go home when they go back' and 'defend our girls'.
Bottles and smoke flares were later thrown towards police vans blocking the entrance to the hotel on the High Road.
The force said one person had been arrested and was being taken into custody on Sunday evening.
Essex Police announced, before the protest, that it would order demonstrators to remove face coverings when requested under section 60AA of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.
Anyone who refuses to remove a face mask when asked to do so is likely to be arrested and could be imprisoned if convicted, the force said.
'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,' officers said.
It comes after a man was charged with violent disorder and criminal damage on Sunday afternoon following previous clashes outside the hotel.
Eight police officers were injured after what started as a peaceful protest on Thursday evening.
Keith Silk, 33, of Torrington Drive, Loughton, was arrested on Saturday, Essex Police said.
The force said on Sunday that the CPS had authorised police to charge Silk with one count of violent disorder and one count of criminal damage.
He was remanded into custody and will appear at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on Monday.
Thursday's demonstration was one of a series of protests outside the hotel since 38-year-old asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu was charged with sexual assault after an incident where he is alleged to have attempted to kiss a 14-year-old girl.
He denied the charge when he appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on Thursday.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Every possibility similar violence to Southport riots could reoccur
Every possibility similar violence to Southport riots could reoccur

Powys County Times

time6 hours ago

  • Powys County Times

Every possibility similar violence to Southport riots could reoccur

There is 'every possibility' that similar violence to the Southport riots of summer 2024 could reoccur, a watchdog chief has said. The police service 'should not be caught off-guard again', His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services Sir Andy Cooke wrote in the Sunday Telegraph. Disorder broke out after the murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the town on July 29 last year. It quickly spread to other areas and mosques, community centres and libraries were attacked while hotels housing asylum seekers were also targeted. A year later, Sir Andy said the 'tools that amplified hatred last summer remain largely unchanged and unregulated'. He said: 'The police service should not be caught off-guard again. There is every possibility that similar violence could reoccur. 'Online misinformation continues to spread. Community tensions persist. The tools that amplified hatred last summer remain largely unchanged and unregulated. 'The police service must modernise its understanding of how disorder develops and spreads in the digital age.' In recent weeks, multiple demonstrations have been held outside the Bell Hotel in Epping after an asylum seeker was charged with allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. Protests have been held in other areas against the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers since. Several demonstrators were detained by police after rival groups gathered at a protest against the use of a hotel to accommodate asylum seekers on Saturday afternoon. The Metropolitan Police imposed conditions on a protest and counter-protest outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in Islington, north London. A man wearing an England football shirt was detained by police after a confrontation with officers. A group of anti-fascist protesters blocked a junction outside the hotel, with officers pushing into the crowd to detain several people, dragging them out by their arms and legs. The group was moved from the road and officers told them they were in breach of the conditions put on the demonstration, before forming a circle around the protesters. At about 3.30pm, police said there had been nine arrests, including seven on suspicion of breaching Public Order Act conditions. A protest and counter-protest also took place in Newcastle outside the New Bridge Hotel and four people were arrested on suspicion of public order offences, Northumbria Police said. The inspectorate conducted a review of the police response to last summer's disorder and the findings reveal 'critical gaps that left forces unprepared for the scale and nature of the violence they faced', Sir Andy said. He said social media and online platforms 'amplified false narratives and incited participation at a pace that traditional policing approaches simply could not match'. He added: 'The police service hasn't kept pace with the fast-developing nature of online communications. And forces were not equipped to deal with the repercussions as the disorder rapidly unfolded. The national mobilisation plan was activated too late. 'Intelligence systems failed to adequately predict the rising threat. Most concerning of all, forces had not learnt sufficiently from previous instances of disorder, including the need to react to changing public sentiment. 'At a time of national emergency, the police intelligence strategy – necessary for forces to respond effectively – should be clear and obvious to all.' Sir Andy said it is 'vital' that forces learn from these events and 'strengthen their response to future instances of disorder to make sure the public are kept safe'. He added that it is 'positive to see that the police have worked with others to improve the provision of intelligence to national and local commanders'.

Pair of men charged in connection with rape of 12-year-old girl
Pair of men charged in connection with rape of 12-year-old girl

Metro

time7 hours ago

  • Metro

Pair of men charged in connection with rape of 12-year-old girl

Two men, believed to be Afghan asylum seekers, have been charged with the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. Ahmad Mulakhil, 23, has been charged with rape, and Mohammad Kabir, 23, has been charged with kidnap, strangulation and aiding and abetting rape of a girl under 13. Both appeared at Coventry Magistrates' Court and have been remanded in custody until their court appearance at Warwick Crown Court on August 26. Warwickshire Police are asking anyone who was in the Cheveral Street area of Nuneaton around 8.30 pm and 9.45 pm on July 22 to come forward. Warwickshire Police did not deny a Mail on Sunday report which said Mulakhil and Kabir are asylum seekers. The crime has sparked outrage, following a month fraught with tension over the alleged sex attack on another young girl by a migrant in Epping. The force said: 'Where relevant, sensitive information around locations, details of the crime and policing activity to catch offenders can be shared, with a warning that this is sensitive or confidential information and disclosure by those being briefed could affect future court hearings. 'Once someone is charged with an offence, we follow national guidance. This guidance does not include sharing ethnicity or immigration status.' Blackburn MP Adnan Hussain wrote on X: 'Seeking asylum is appealing to the goodness of a nation and its people, to grant you safety. 'To commit a crime so horrific while seeking asylum is barbaric. If found guilty, they should be sent back without further question.' Last month, large crowds gathered outside the Bell Hotel in Epping to protest the housing of migrants there, after a resident of the hotel was charged with multiple crimes a week after arriving in the UK. In the chaos, two hotel workers who had just got off the bus to begin their shift at the Essex hotel were 'set upon by a group of men', mistaking them for guests at the hotel. Tensions are still heightened in the community after an Ethiopian man, 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. More Trending Kebatu lives at the hotel and was remanded in custody after his hearing, but denies any wrongdoing. Last year, similar scenes unfolded outside of a migrant hotel in Rotherham when far-right rioters attempted to break into the building in the aftermath of the Southport killings. In videos shared online, the mob was seen throwing bricks and chairs at officers with riot shields, before smashing windows and entering the building while chanting 'Yorkshire, Yorkshire'. Members of the mob, who waved Union flags and the St George's Cross, taunted police in the car park of the hotel. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: We've been to 900 Wetherspoon pubs – these are our top five locations MORE: Wetherspoon boss reveals the one pub idea that could be a 'bridge too far' MORE: My drink was spiked – then I got a life-changing diagnosis

Every possibility similar violence to Southport riots could reoccur
Every possibility similar violence to Southport riots could reoccur

Leader Live

time7 hours ago

  • Leader Live

Every possibility similar violence to Southport riots could reoccur

The police service 'should not be caught off-guard again', His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services Sir Andy Cooke wrote in the Sunday Telegraph. Disorder broke out after the murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the town on July 29 last year. It quickly spread to other areas and mosques, community centres and libraries were attacked while hotels housing asylum seekers were also targeted. A year later, Sir Andy said the 'tools that amplified hatred last summer remain largely unchanged and unregulated'. He said: 'The police service should not be caught off-guard again. There is every possibility that similar violence could reoccur. 'Online misinformation continues to spread. Community tensions persist. The tools that amplified hatred last summer remain largely unchanged and unregulated. 'The police service must modernise its understanding of how disorder develops and spreads in the digital age.' In recent weeks, multiple demonstrations have been held outside the Bell Hotel in Epping after an asylum seeker was charged with allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. Protests have been held in other areas against the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers since. Several demonstrators were detained by police after rival groups gathered at a protest against the use of a hotel to accommodate asylum seekers on Saturday afternoon. The Metropolitan Police imposed conditions on a protest and counter-protest outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in Islington, north London. A man wearing an England football shirt was detained by police after a confrontation with officers. A group of anti-fascist protesters blocked a junction outside the hotel, with officers pushing into the crowd to detain several people, dragging them out by their arms and legs. The group was moved from the road and officers told them they were in breach of the conditions put on the demonstration, before forming a circle around the protesters. At about 3.30pm, police said there had been nine arrests, including seven on suspicion of breaching Public Order Act conditions. A protest and counter-protest also took place in Newcastle outside the New Bridge Hotel and four people were arrested on suspicion of public order offences, Northumbria Police said. The inspectorate conducted a review of the police response to last summer's disorder and the findings reveal 'critical gaps that left forces unprepared for the scale and nature of the violence they faced', Sir Andy said. He said social media and online platforms 'amplified false narratives and incited participation at a pace that traditional policing approaches simply could not match'. He added: 'The police service hasn't kept pace with the fast-developing nature of online communications. And forces were not equipped to deal with the repercussions as the disorder rapidly unfolded. The national mobilisation plan was activated too late. 'Intelligence systems failed to adequately predict the rising threat. Most concerning of all, forces had not learnt sufficiently from previous instances of disorder, including the need to react to changing public sentiment. 'At a time of national emergency, the police intelligence strategy – necessary for forces to respond effectively – should be clear and obvious to all.' Sir Andy said it is 'vital' that forces learn from these events and 'strengthen their response to future instances of disorder to make sure the public are kept safe'. He added that it is 'positive to see that the police have worked with others to improve the provision of intelligence to national and local commanders'.

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