7 hours ago
Canary Wharf hotel migrant arrested after ‘entering blind woman's flat'
An asylum seeker believed to be living at a Canary Wharf migrant hotel has been arrested after allegedly entering a blind woman's flat.
The man, who has not been named, was accused of walking into the flat near the four-star Britannia Hotel on Wednesday through an open door.
Police initially took no action despite members of the public detaining him.
But the man, believed to be in his early 20s, has now been arrested on suspicion of common assault.
The Metropolitan Police has also charged a woman living at the house which the man entered with a series of offences.
Channay Augustus, 22, is accused of assaulting a security guard at the Britannia Hotel.
She has also been charged with possession of an offensive weapon, affray, assault on an emergency worker and possession of cannabis.
Augustus will appear at Thames Magistrates' Court on Friday morning.
The family of the blind woman living at the flat have previously said she was left fearing for her life after the incident.
They said the man entered the house on Wednesday after being followed by a group of men who had told him to 'go back to the hotel'.
Asylum seekers have been moved into the Britannia Hotel this month after the Home Office earmarked it for use as migrant accommodation.
The hotel has been the site of regular anti-immigration protests and pro-migrant counter-demonstrations in recent weeks.
In a statement, the Met said: 'On Wednesday night we released an initial statement following an incident where a man allegedly entered a woman's flat. He was detained by members of the public nearby.
'Our investigation continued on Thursday, with officers carrying out extensive CCTV enquiries and speaking to witnesses.
'As a result of this, in the early hours of this morning – Friday, 15 August – we arrested a man in the Hackney area on suspicion of common assault. He is believed to be in his early 20s.
'We can confirm that this is the man who allegedly entered the flat. He is now in police custody.
'A 22-year-old woman who was arrested on Wednesday evening has since been charged with a number of offences. We can confirm that she is an occupant of the flat that was entered.'
The force added: 'The alleged victim of the common assault is a security guard at the hotel, not the man who allegedly entered her flat.'
