Share
30th August 2025
10:42am BST
Three people were arrested, and two police officers were injured in Epping following the latest protest over the use of asylum hotels.
People had gathered to demonstrate in the Essex town after the government announced on Friday that it had won its bid to block the closure of the Bell Hotel, which has been at the centre of a wave of protests.
One person was apprehended on suspicion of violent disorder, a second man on suspicion of assaulting a police officer and a third on suspicion of drink driving after a car was driven on the wrong side of the road towards a police cordon.
Assistant chief constable Glen Pavelin said: "Protest is a democratic right, and we’ll always do all we can to facilitate that, for every group seeking to make their voice heard.
"The overwhelming majority of people in Epping tonight clearly wanted their voices to be heard, and they did that safely and without the need for a police response.
"However, the right to protest does not include a right to commit a crime, and tonight a small number of people were arrested. Two officers sustained injuries, which are thankfully not serious.
"Officers will remain in the area in the coming hours to ensure the dispersal order, which remains in place, is adhered to," per LBC.
It comes after Epping Forest District Council had been granted an interim injunction by the High Court, putting a stop to Somani Hotels (the hotel's owner) from using the hotel to accommodate asylum seekers beyond September 12.
The Home Office and Somani Hotels challenged this with a decision in a bid to avoid similar legal challenges across the country.
Following yesterday's ruling (August 29), asylum seekers will now be able to stay in Epping's Bell Hotel beyond the September 12 deadline.
Anyone gathering outside the hotel had to vacate the area by 9.30 pm on Friday, per an Essex Police request.
A second order was put in place regarding a small crowd on the Epping side of High Road, which forced them to leave the area by 10 pm. Both orders were adhered to.
A dispersal order was in place until 6 am today (August 30).
Paveling added: "The strength of feeling in Epping throughout the summer is not lost on me. My continued plea to those people who want their voices to be heard is to please do that safely and peacefully," per LBC.
