Overview

• Essex Police arrested several people on suspicion of affray, racially aggravated public order offences, and criminal damage following Thursday’s clashes outside The Bell Hotel.
• Eight officers sustained injuries and three police vehicles were damaged when protesters threw bottles, eggs and fireworks at policing units on High Road.
• Detectives are combing through body-worn camera and CCTV footage to identify attackers responsible for the violence.
• Two security staff at The Bell Hotel suffered serious non-life-threatening injuries after a racially aggravated assault at a nearby bus stop last Sunday.
• Local council leader Chris Whitbread and MPs Neil Hudson and Alex Burghart demanded that the Home Office end the hotel’s use as an asylum centre, while Stand Up To Racism staged counter-demonstrations.