A third person has been arrested following violent clashes outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Epping, Essex, police have confirmed. The 33-year-old man from Loughton was detained on Saturday on suspicion of violent disorder and criminal damage, and remains in custody awaiting questioning.
Eight police officers were injured during the unrest outside the Bell hotel on Thursday evening, which began as a peaceful protest but escalated into violence. Riot police in helmets faced crowds of men, some masked, who threw plastic bottles, eggs and flour at counter-demonstrators and officers. Police vans were also vandalised.
Two people were arrested on Friday in connection with the protests. Dean Walters, 65, from Harlow, has been charged with affray following a separate protest on 13 July, and will appear in court in September. A second man arrested for breaching a dispersal order has been released on conditional bail.
The protests are linked to the case of Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, a 38-year-old Ethiopian asylum seeker charged with three counts of sexual assault. He denied the offences at Chelmsford magistrates court on Thursday and was remanded in custody ahead of a trial next month.
Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow condemned the violence, stating: 'The events in Epping on Thursday were shocking and have no place in our neighbourhoods.' He urged the public to avoid inflammatory social media posts and reiterated that police remain impartial while facilitating peaceful protest.
