Overview

• Mr Justice Eyre is due to deliver a decision this afternoon, with the ruling expected around 2pm.
• Epping Forest District Council is seeking an interim order that would require the Bell Hotel to stop housing asylum seekers within 14 days, citing planning breaches and local safety concerns.
• Home Secretary Yvette Cooper made a late application at 5:23pm on Monday to join the case, arguing an injunction could impede statutory duties and trigger similar challenges elsewhere.
• Somani Hotels told the court that losing Home Office placements would cause financial harm, describing the contract as a lifeline for the business.
• Weeks of protests outside the hotel have at times turned violent following criminal charges against residents, with reported assaults, fireworks, and significant police response.