THE dad of a girl allegedly sexually assaulted by an asylum seeker wants the hotel where the migrant stayed to be shut down, a councillor has claimed.
This week Epping in Essex, and later Canary Wharf in London, have been torn apart by protests in a row over taxpayer-funded asylum seeker hotels.
Shutterstock EditorialPolice officers surround Bell Hotel after anti-immigration protesters clashed with cops[/caption]
PAThe Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf, London where asylum seekers are planned to be housed[/caption]
UKNIPA major public order incident erupted in Epping on Thursday evening after a protest outside the Bell Hotel escalated into violent clashes[/caption]
PAProtesters outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex[/caption]
The disorder began outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, where anti-migrant protests erupted following an alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl.
The Bell Hotel has housed migrants since 2020.
Ethiopian asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu was charged with the assault days after arriving in the UK on a small boat.
Kebatu, 38, denied the charge when he appeared at Chelmsford magistrates’ court.
Conservative councillor Shane Yerrell read out a letter he claimed was from the teenage girl’s father at a meeting on Thursday.
The Telegraph reported the letter as saying: “I just want the hotel to be moved, not only off our streets, but away from making any other family feel how we’re feeling right now.
“It’s not fair that the Government are putting our children and grandchildren at risk, even their own.”
The dad thanked those in Epping for “kind messages” that are “helping [my daughter] get through every day”.
This is the first time the girl’s family has spoken out on the disorder, and the council voted in favour of closing down the hotel.
The Conservative leader of Epping Forest District Council, Chris Whitbread, said: “I am concerned that our residents’ peaceful protests are being infiltrated on the extremes of politics.
“I’m worried that Epping will become a focus and a battleground for the agendas of those extremist groups and they will continue to stoke tensions as part of their wider campaigns.”
‘SCATTERED INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE’
On Thursday, a crowd of 200 protesters gathered outside The Bell Hotel to express their discontent with it being used to house migrants.
They wore signs and t-shirts with slogans displayed on them while chanting “save our kids” in the heavy rain.
Officers from at least six forces outside of the county attended to try and keep the peace – and Essex Police have come under heavy criticism.
One person was arrested for breaching an order in place that prevents anyone from wearing a face covering.
A total of 16 arrests were made following disorder outside the same hotel last week, and six have been charged.
The protest, outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, began peacefully but escalated into what officers described as “scattered incidents of violence” targeting police and property.
Eight officers were injured and a number of police vehicles were damaged as missiles were thrown.
The unrest saw yobs launching themselves on riot vans, smashing windshields and ripping off wingmirrors in senseless displays of “hooliganism”.
One thug was even run over while attempting to stop a police van gaining access to the hotel.
Another man had his teeth knocked out after riot cops smashed a shield into his face in a brutal clash.
Since tensions reached boiling point, violent demonstrations have cost the force £100,000.
Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper said: “We’d promised that we’d continue our investigations into the unacceptable actions of a small number of people who chose to take advantage of peaceful protest to try to cause harm to people in Epping or to property.
“We’ve been analysing footage and we have investigators and trained detectives working on this operation.
MIGRANT SHOPLIFT SPREE Fury as brazen asylum seekers filmed shoplifting designer gear worth thousands before returning to hotel YOU pay for
By Rachel Dale and Thomas Godfrey
ASYLUM seekers staying in taxpayer-funded hotels are swiping thousands of pounds of designer gear from top stores.
Tipped off by a security firm, we saw organised gangs exit Liberty in London with alarm-dodging bags of luxury items.
They pounced at stores including Liberty, Polo Ralph Lauren and John Lewis — then headed back to their Holiday Inn home.
The Sun was alerted to the situation by exasperated security staff who feel powerless to stop the brazen thefts.
A whistle-blower said 70 per cent of shoplifters in the West End are asylum seekers.
The man, who works in private security, said his teams are at breaking point and the area “verging on lawless”.
He added: “The police rarely attend and the maximum we can hold them for is four hours — after that we just have to let them go. We see the same faces again and again.”
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “It is a slap in the face to British people for illegal migrants to break into the UK then engage in brazen criminality. They need to be deported immediately.
“The small boats are fuelling crime and making the public less safe. It’s a national security emergency and Keir Starmer should treat it as one.”
Last Thursday we saw a team of two migrants meet up at the Holiday Inn, Wembley.
They carried bags lined with tin foil that stop security tags going off when leaving stores.
A Home Office spokeswoman said: “No one claiming asylum should be breaking our laws and we will take robust action to remove anyone found to be doing so.
“Since July 2024, we have removed over 5,000 foreign national offenders – a 14% increase on the previous year.
“We are also cracking down on shoplifting across the country with 3,000 new neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs to keep our communities safe, and introducing tough new laws to tackle retail crime in our landmark Crime and Policing Bill.”
The Met said: “Our proactive patrols and activity solved 163 per cent more shoplifting cases this year than last.”
“We are identifying suspects and there will be more arrests in the coming days.
“Put simply: If you turn up to try to cause trouble, you won’t get away with it.”
It comes after the Chief Constable of Essex Police refused to resign after footage seemingly showed officers escorting pro-migrant activists to the asylum seeker hotel.
Essex Police had initially denied it brought demonstrators from Stand Up to Racism to the Bell Hotel in Epping before clashes with anti-migrant protesters last Sunday.
While accepting it provided a “foot cordon”, the force has denied claims it specifically “bussed” the counter-protesters to the hotel.
Essex Police are continuing to face heavy scrutiny over its handling of the protests.
A spokesperson for the force added: “Misinformation has circulated online suggesting we “bussed in” counter protestors during a recent protest in Epping on Thursday 17 July.
“This is categorically untrue.”
UNREST IN CANARY WHARF
It comes as barriers are blocking off entry to a four-star hotel being converted to house asylum seekers.
The 500-room Britannia Hotel in London‘s Canary Wharf is currently preparing for migrants to arrive.
Photos showed new beds and mattresses being unloaded and carried into the four star hotel in the heart of the capital’s swanky docklands, and where rooms can typically cost up to £469 a night.
False rumours spread online suggested it was being used for migrants being moved from The Bell Hotel.
“Asylum seekers are not being removed from The Bell Hotel in Epping,” a Home Office spokesperson said.
A spokesman for Tower Hamlets council said: “We are aware of the Government’s decision to use the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf to provide temporary accommodation for asylum seekers.
“It is important that the Government ensures that there is a full package of support for those staying at the hotel.
“We are working with the Home Office and partners to make sure that all necessary safety and safeguarding arrangements are in place.”
The Home Office has reserved more than 400 beds at the Britannia International Hotel, agreeing a deal for £81 per night for each migrant who stays there.
It has been confirmed that no asylum seekers are currently living there.
The Home Office reserves beds in empty hotel rooms in case of a surge in crossings over the summer period.
Home Office sources revealed to The Sun that the average cost per night for a hotel room for a migrant is now £118.87, down from £162.16 in March 2023.
Housing asylum seekers in hotels costs the taxpayer £5.77million a day.
UKNIPPolice officers standing outside the Britannia Hotel[/caption]
Shutterstock EditorialProtesters demonstrate against the Bell Hotel which is used to house asylum seekers[/caption]
Shutterstock EditorialProtesters demonstrate against the Bell Hotel housing migrants[/caption]
‘A CRISIS THAT HAS REACHED BOILING POINT’
The “powder keg” this week has prompted fears of another summer of rioting in the UK – with cops worried that they could see similar scenes to that of disorder in the wake of misinformation over the Southport killer being a migrant.
Conservative MP Dr Neil Hudson warned that the disorder is a “crisis that has reached boiling point”.
Sir Keir Starmer released a statement in response to the growing tensions.
“Well, I think it’s obviously important that communities know that we are working to reduce the number of asylum hotels,” said the PM’s spokesperson.
“That is a clear government policy. But it’s also important that
legitimate protest doesn’t cross over into something else, and we would always hope that communities would respect that.
“But we are, and I think the Prime Minister is on record as saying, about the need to cut migration, both lawfully and illegal migration, and that is something that you’re seeing in working on tirelessly over the last year, whether it be the agreement with the French last week or the agreement with the German government yesterday, that is a priority for this government.
“It is something that requires international solutions, and that is why you’re seeing this flurry of activity from this government to tackle these gangs from every possible angle.”
Shutterstock EditorialPolice line up in a cordon to enforce a dispersal order at the end of a protest in Epping[/caption]
AFPPolice officers form a line in the town centre of Epping[/caption]
PAProtesters outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, which began peacefully[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
