A female police officer who was bitten during unrest in Thetford has already returned to the front line, alongside a colleague who was struck on the head with a rock. The incidents occurred as people attempted to storm homes linked to asylum seekers.
Two more arrests were made on Thursday, marking a third consecutive night of tension in the market town. A heavy police presence remained in Chester Way.
Officers attacked
On Wednesday, police faced “significant aggression” and two officers were taken to hospital after responding to a scene at Clover Way. The situation was described as “fast-moving and volatile” as a crowd moved towards a residential property.
Norfolk Police Federation chairman Andy Symonds condemned the assaults and expressed admiration for the officers' professionalism. He said: “Two officers required hospital treatment after being assaulted, including one officer who was struck in the head with a rock and a female officer who was bitten whilst protecting property and keeping people safe.”
Symonds added: “Our thoughts are with the officers who were injured while protecting the people of Thetford. I have spoken to both officers. They are recovering well. In fact, both are back at work. Both officers went to hospital. The officer who received the significant injury through being bitten had treatment in hospital and received a tetanus jab, it is swollen and is a risk of infection, so she has been prescribed antibiotics. She returned to policing the protest last night. I’m in awe of this level of commitment.”
Arrests and charges
A man in his 40s was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of inciting racial hatred related to Wednesday's events. Another man, also in his 40s, was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly and failing to provide details to police.
Police powers were increased on Thursday evening following the earlier disorder. On Tuesday night, windows were smashed, fences broken, and attempts were made to break into a residential property. Two men were arrested after the disorder.
Protesters' attempts to enter homes were sparked by fears they were being used to house asylum seekers. Norfolk Police Chief Constable Paul Sanford said some asylum seekers had to be escorted from homes as a result of the unrest. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “If people wander into an active protest and ignore calls from the police to stand back, then there is a high likelihood that they might get caught up in what occurs. But my officers have done a fantastic job. I’ve had two police officers hospitalised as a result of the incident on Wednesday night. The people who perpetrated those offences should expect the full force of the law, and I will be pushing for the strongest possible sanction.”
Residents' views
Residents of Chester Way said there had been a peaceful protest and a heavy police presence. Some suggested protesters may have been there due to homes they claimed were being used to house immigrants. One woman, who asked not to be named, said there were “just people standing about and lots and lots of police, too many, it’s a waste of taxpayers’ money”.
Another woman, speaking anonymously, said: “It wasn’t violent at all. They were just standing, it was a protest more than anything else.” She added: “We’ve never had any problems from immigrants” but “people can protest, they’ve got the right to protest”.
Norfolk Police said two arrests were made on Wednesday night for offences including public order, harassment and possession of an offensive weapon. Brian Thompson, 68, of Fairfields, Thetford, has been charged with possession of an offensive weapon, namely a wooden bat. He has been released on bail and is due to appear at Norwich Magistrates’ Court on August 25. A man in his 30s, arrested on Wednesday following Tuesday's incidents on suspicion of a public order offence, has since been released and issued with a conditional caution.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said: “There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for violence and thuggery to be directed to anyone in our society, whether that’s people seeking sanctuary in Britain or indeed the police that are trying to maintain public order. This Government is taking action to deal with the legitimate concerns that people have around immigration, particularly the challenges around small boats. I can reassure people on two fronts – one is that we’ve seen small boat crossings fall by about 40% and over 46,000 small boat crossings deterred and prevented, so we’re making real progress. The other point of reassurance is that we know there’s a lot more to do and we’re not remotely complacent. There are people who have legitimate concerns who know how to voice them. I don’t want those people conflated with the violent thugs we’ve seen on our streets, who seem to suggest on one hand they’re concerned about public safety and public order in relation to asylum seekers, while at the same time going out and breaking the law as violent racist thugs. I don’t think we should conflate the two.”
