Overview

• Asylum seeker Ahmed Muhammad Almahi was formally charged with sexual assault over an August 5 incident in Rugby and is due to appear at Warwick Crown Court next month.
• An angry crowd of several hundred gathered outside the 111-room Ibis Rugby East hotel following news of the charge, with residents citing fears of anti-social behaviour and safety.
• Northamptonshire Police deployed extra neighbourhood patrols in Crick to reassure locals and monitor any criminal activity linked to the hotel cohort.
• Crick Parish Council and West Northamptonshire Council have lodged formal objections with Serco and the Home Office over the hotel’s use for asylum accommodation.
• Serco and the Ibis operator stressed that occupants are not detained, may come and go freely under Home Office rules, and that no curfew can be imposed on residents.