Latest news with #Havant
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Suella Braverman leads campaign against plan to house asylum seekers in 'zombie apocalypse town' with 'Britain's worst high street'
Suella Braverman is leading a campaign to stop plans to house migrants in a town described as looking like it has gone through a 'zombie apocalypse'. A row has broken out in Waterlooville as locals have been left up in arms over proposals to house 35 asylum seekers on its much-scrutinised high street. Over the last two years, the once-thriving Waterlooville has been branded a 'zombie apocalypse town' after videos of its high street went viral, showing it deserted and desolate. It was dubbed a 'ghost town' thanks to scores of boarded-up shops and was singled out as the 'worst high street in Britain'. Efforts have been undertaken to restore the town to its former glory as its local authority - Havant Borough Council - has supported it with a series of grants. Now, the council - as well as the Home Office - have come under fire after it emerged that the Home Office has submitted proposals to locate migrants in Waterlooville. It is claimed that the Home Office proposes to house 35 young male asylum seekers in a building on the high street where fashion shop Peacocks used to be before it closed down. Braverman, Tory MP for Fareham and Waterlooville, took to the high street in Waterlooville to brand the proposals 'outrageous', 'reckless', and 'insulting to local people'. Braverman said: 'Housing illegal migrants and 'asylum seekers' in Waterlooville Town Centre is totally wrong. 'Our local services are already under strain. 'This plan will dump further pressure on policing, healthcare, and public infrastructure, all while ignoring the legitimate concerns of residents who have been left voiceless. 'Waterlooville families deserve better than to have their town centre used as overflow accommodation because Labour has lost control of our borders after scrapping the Rwanda plan.' The former Home Secretary has called on constituents to sign a petition to stop the proposals. She has also written to the Home Office, urging Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to abandon them. Braverman has also accused Havant Borough Council of failing to object to the Home Office's plans. She said: 'Shamefully, we have been informed that HBC did not respond to the consultation from Clearsprings, the housing provider, and HBC did not object to the proposals.' News of the proposals being shared by Braverman has caused a row between Havant Borough Council and the Home Office. In a strongly-worded statement, the council said the Home Office and Clearsprings made a blunder by sending an email to the wrong address. The council also said they have not had appropriate time to consider the plans. A spokesperson said: 'The Home Office and Clearsprings, the property procurement company acting on their behalf, contacted Havant Borough Council in June 2025 in relation to a consultation on these placements. 'It has since become apparent the email to consult on this matter had been sent to the email address of an external contractor who was not only not qualified to respond, but also no longer works on behalf of the council. 'Havant Borough Council does not consider appropriate contact was made and has highlighted to both the Home Office and Clearsprings that matters of this sensitive nature must firmly be discussed in the first instance with the Chief Executive and lead for Housing, in addition to the elected Administration. 'The council has since been in contact with The Home Office, urgently requesting that the consultation period is extended to allow the council to express its views on this matter. 'This is to ensure matters of this nature are given proper consideration, allowing for qualified feedback to be expressed under a formal process.' Leader of Havant Borough Council, Labour Councillor Phil Munday, said: 'I understand we have an instructed duty from the Home Office to house asylum seekers within the borough, however it is important that the council works closely with all concerned to advise on the placement for these vulnerable people. 'I have taken immediate action and personally called The Home Office to request an extension to their consultation in order for us to respond accordingly. 'This has also been followed up with formal requests in writing from our officers. 'We are extremely disappointed that the company involved with this important consultation, considering the impact it may have on our local community, was not only sent to an incorrect email address, but they also failed to follow up to ensure a response of some kind was registered. 'These consultation exercises need to be taken seriously.' Cllr Munday added that he has 'grave concerns' about the impact the recent campaign video posted by MP Suella Braverman will have. 'I would urge the community to act responsibly and allow us to address this matter formally in the correct manner,' he said. 'As part of my open letter to Suella Braverman MP on this matter I will be reminding her that those who could potentially be accommodated somewhere within our borough, will be supported asylum seekers. 'They are categorically not recognised by the state as illegal immigrants - regardless of the headline-grabbing title of Suella Braverman's petition - and I urge people to consider this in their views and actions.' Havant Borough Council has no overall control and last year a coalition was formed between Labour, Liberal Democrats and Green Party Councillors.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Waterlooville asylum housing consultation extended after email 'problem'
The consultation period for planned asylum seeker housing in a town centre has been extended due to "communication problems" at a local Borough Council previously said there had not been "appropriate contact" about possible dispersal accommodation in authority said the Home Office and its property procurement company had emailed in June about the proposal, but this was "sent to the email address of an external contractor" who no longer works for the an update earlier, the authority confirmed a 10-day consultation had since been secured after "strong and honest dialogue" with the Home Office. The consultation being reopened comes after council leader Phil Munday said he was "extremely disappointed" there was no follow-up to ensure there had been a response. When the authority was made aware of the "communication problem" it said it "promptly took action" to secure an statement said the consultation would allow it more time to "formally respond on potential issues such as appropriate placement, community cohesion and other variables that the council is ideally placed to highlight". "The council as part of this consultation, will secure perspectives and feedback from councillors, key stakeholders and more to inform their opinion," it added. Mr Munday said he would be meeting with the Home Office on Friday to "highlight his concerns to date".He added: "The council has unequivocally fought hard to secure the consultation and the means to give our vital local perspective on this important issue."Everything is being done to ensure our voice is heard whilst dealing with a challenge being felt nationally. I look forward to the council providing a response that reflects the concerns of the borough."The council now has until Friday 1 August to respond to the consultation, at which point it will await the Home Office's final decision on whether to approve the proposed accommodation.A Home Office spokesperson said: "We are working to fairly disperse asylum seekers across the country, consulting closely with local authorities and listening to local concerns." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Daily Mail
12-07-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Inside the paedophile vigilante sting which triggered a 'medieval' riot on a Hampshire council estate that saw fences torched and missiles hurled at riot police
'It was like medieval times' says Richard Brixley as he fixes up his Harley Davidson Ultra Classic on his front drive, 'someone had a flaming fence panel, they were blocking the road up at each end with riot vans, my partner was in the house terrified'. The events the biker is describing unfolded last week on the Leigh Park housing estate in Havant, just outside Portsmouth in Hampshire. Hours earlier, a vigilante 'paedo hunter' group known as Protecting Pompeys Innocent had begun a Facebook live stream confronting a man they accused of talking to a girl online he believed was 14-years-old. That 'girl' was in fact a decoy from a group called the Child Online Safety Team. After the man allegedly sent a series of sickening messages to the 'girl', a group were sent in to confront him. As news spread of the sting, hundreds of protesters, some allegedly travelling from miles away, swarmed onto Leigh Park - what happened next on the quiet estate once dubbed the largest council estate in Europe was shocking. As police battled to keep the peace, parents jeered and cheered as their own children threw missiles at officers and tore down fences. One resident recalled how terrifying it was: 'It was like a proper riot, quite scary, all the shouting, there were kids pulling a fence down and their parents egging 'em on. 'I understand people wanting to watch but don't bring your children!' By the end of the evening a full-scale riot had left an 80-year-old blind man in hospital having allegedly had a brick thrown at him through a glass window, a house had been smashed up, fence panels ripped off, a dispersal order placed on the area and a man arrested on suspicion of engaging in sexual communication with a child. Lee Comley, 38, of Middle Park Way, was later charged with arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence. He appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates Court last week where he was remanded in custody. He will appear at Portsmouth Crown Court on 4th August. In the wake of the chaos, residents have spoken to MailOnline about the violence and the 21st century phenomena of online vigilante paedophile hunters taking the law into their own hands. 'I used to see him every night out walking his dog, he kept himself to himself', one lady, who did not want to be named, told MailOnline. She was at home scrolling through Facebook that night when she saw a live stream of a paedo hunter sting gathering thousands of views. To her horror, it was her neighbour a few doors down. The sting team had called in the police to arrest their suspect at around 7.38pm. But as anger grew online, crowds began arriving onto Middle Park Way - officers were quickly met with a large and increasingly angry mob. As chants of 'paedo, paedo' were screamed by the mob, missiles were hurled at police as the epicentre of the riot focused on a house on the green at the junction of Locksheath Close and Middle Park Way. Richard Brixley explained: 'I heard people were travelling from Paulsgrove in Portsmouth to take part in the riot, you couldn't park on this road, they were going down the back of the houses to get to the guy's house, they were ripping my fence panels for stuff to throw at police.' With the situation turning violent and dangerous, Hampshire Constabulary were forced to deploy dozens of riot police brandishing shields who stormed the estate to hold back the crowds which by then numbered at least '1,000' people, mainly in the '18-25 age group', as one woman claimed. PJ, who has lived on Leigh Park his whole life, had been in his flat watching the movie 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' when he went outside to watch the chaos unfold from his doorstep. 'I've never seen it like this', the 33-year-old said, adding: 'There was riot police out here, there were kids shouting 'nonce, nonce', there were people all over the field.' Video shows how rioters hurled bricks, fence panels and anything they could find at police as officers smashed back the crowds to try and bring the carnage under control. The alleged property of the suspect, which had multiple flats in, had had its door smashed in and windows pelted with bricks. Rioters were seen trying to start fires while a man brandished a flaming torch fashioned from a fence panel. Amid the chaos, a blind 80-year-old man was struck by a flying brick and rushed to hospital, kids as young as 'twelve' were spotted taking part in the anarchy. 'They were just chucking things at the police, it was the kids, they were just out to cause trouble, there was literally thousands' says one homeowner who lives across the road from where the violence unfolded. Innocent residents were unsurprisingly caught in the crossfire. 'They was chucking boulders at mum's greenhouse' says Toni, who lives just off the green, 'they were hurling anything at the man's front door'. She added: 'Mum was absolutely terrified, you couldn't see the grass through people, the riot police with their shields.' While many locals told MailOnline they understood the anger - the violence was totally out of order. 'I understand the cause. As much as I appreciate the severity of the situation it seemed to do more damage and stress to the people that live here', said Richard Brixley. He added: 'It was quite a traumatic experience for the kids who live here, there were kids being brought to a riot.' Toni agreed, adding: 'What I don't understand is that the guy was accused of being a predator but people were bringing their kids up here? Kids were shouting nonce. 'Why take children to get out a paedophile!? Morals, yes, brains, zero!' While another mum said: 'I have three kids and kept them inside, anyone who brought their kids is vile.' The riot was brought to an end shortly after 10pm. So-called paedophile hunter groups operate without official endorsement from the police, they are run by volunteers. The activity first rose to prominence following the release of the 2014 Channel 4 documentary 'The Paedophile Hunter' which followed a British vigilante called Stinson Hunter. Mr Hunter, who worked alongside a team based out of Nuneaton in the West Midlands, would snare paedophiles online while posing as underage children. The group would organise a meetup with a suspect where they would film the encounter and post it on Facebook. They achieved dozens of convictions. But the work has courted controversy in recent years following the suicides of several men accused by vigilante groups of being child predators. Dad-of-four Adrian Smith, 48, died in February just hours after being accused by an online group of sending sexually explicit messages to someone he was said to believe was a 14-year-old girl. He was released on bail by Avon and Somerset Police but later found dead after throwing himself off a bridge onto the M4 motorway. FUSE UK, the hunter group behind Mr Smith's sting, took the video down after hearing of his death to 'allow his family to grieve' but did not apologise. Despite the controversy surrounding some of vigilante groups' work, data reveals the number of convictions thanks to evidence provided by these groups have skyrocketed. In a statement, Protecting Pompeys Innocent condemned Tuesday night's violence at Leigh Park, saying it puts their work in jeopardy. They explained: 'We do not condone in anyway whatsoever violence or disorder. People who cause such issues when stings happen risk the police and government trying to shut groups down. 'If you see a sting taking place feel free to watch etc but it's come to my attention people throwing bricks towards the pred and they've ended up hitting police etc.' Chief Inspector of Havant and East Hampshire districts, Alex Charge, said Tuesday's violence was 'completely unacceptable'. He said: 'As a police service we are committed to protecting vulnerable people – that includes children, and we know that the community feel very passionately about this also. 'Disorder as was seen last night will not be tolerated – it can cause real fear for residents, damage property and seriously impede our police officers who are working really hard to carry out their duties, make arrests and keep people safe. 'Officers attended quickly and robustly last night but were confronted by a group of people acting aggressively, including some who were throwing objects at police. 'This is completely unacceptable and puts our officers at risk of harm when they are there to protect you – our community. 'Our investigation into the report of sexual communication with a child remains ongoing and we have a man in custody. In addition to this, any further offences identified linked to last night's disorder will be investigated and dealt with appropriately.'
BBC News
02-07-2025
- BBC News
Disorder in Havant as police make child sex offence arrest
A dispersal order has been put in place after disorder broke out as police arrested a man on suspicion of child sex Constabulary said officers were called to Middle Park Way in Havant shortly after 19:30 BST on Tuesday following allegations that a man had been sending sexually explicit messages to a child said officers were met with a crowd of about 100 people, "some of whom were engaged in disorder including throwing objects at police officers". No-one was injured and the crowd dispersal order has come into effect to "effectively minimise any ongoing disorder", the force said. The arrested man, 38, remains in police custody. In a statement, Ch Insp Alex Charge said: "Disorder as was seen last night will not be tolerated – it can cause real fear for residents, damage property and seriously impede our police officers who are working really hard to carry out their duties, make arrests and keep people safe."Officers attended quickly and robustly last night but were confronted by a group of people acting aggressively, including some who were throwing objects at police. "This is completely unacceptable and puts our officers at risk of harm when they are there to protect you – our community."The man was arrested on suspicion of engaging in sexual communication with a said any further offences identified during last night's disorder would be dispersal order, issued under Section 34 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, allows police to direct people away from the area within a specified time period. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
Daily Mail
02-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Moment hundreds of rioters shouting 'don't protect paedos' clash with police as they arrest man, 38, accused of sending sexual messages to a child
Hundreds of rioters came face to face with police after a man was arrested on suspicion of engaging in sexual communications with a child. In shocking footage posted online, crowds clashed with officers last night in Havant, Hampshire, as armed police with riot shields took the 38-year-old into custody. Chants of 'paedo' could be heard, while one woman shouted 'don't protect the f***ing paedos, protect the kids', as the police van left the scene. Officers lined up and formed barricades around the man, with the rioters appearing to launch projectiles in their direction. The group then surrounds the police van as it attempts to leave he area. The disorder is believed to have erupted after a group of online vigilante paedo hunters confronted a man they accused of engaging in sexual communication with a child. In a post on Facebook, the group said it has come to their attention that bricks were thrown during the incident. A statement from the Child Online Safety Team said: 'We do not condone in anyway whatsoever violence or disorder. 'People who cause such issues when stings happen risk the police and government trying to shut groups down. 'If you see a sting taking place feel free to watch but it's come to my attention people throwing bricks towards the pred and they've ended up hitting police . 'This is totally unacceptable, anyone who has launched a missile be under no illusion if we have it recorded we will submit it and provide a statement and you will be dealt robustly. 'The sad thing is you'll probably get more of a sentence than the suspect himself 'Let us do what we need to do and stay out of it.' Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary confirmed that investigations remain ongoing. A police spokesperson said: 'Officers have arrested a 38-year-old man from Havant on suspicion of engaging in sexual communications with a child. 'The man, who was arrested in Middle Park Way in Havant this evening, remains in police custody at the current time. 'Enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances.'
