Man in custody on suspicion of assault after anti-social behaviour
An investigation is underway after incidents of anti-social behaviour and harassment at The Bell Hotel in Epping over the weekend .
Officers were called to attend the Bell Hotel - a hotel housing asylum seekers - after a number of people were reportedly throwing projectiles including flares and firecrackers and carrying out harassment and anti-social behaviour.
A resident of the hotel was assaulted outside the property, and officers arrested a 49-year-old man from Harlow in connection with this.
He remains in custody while our enquiries continue.
It is also reported this behaviour was not carried out by legitimate protesters and was a change from the peaceful protest we saw on Thursday and on many occasions before.
Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said:
“I have seen reports that those living at the hotel were throwing flares – I have watched footage of the events yesterday and can say that this is categorically untrue. This is flagrant disinformation, the likes of which we have seen before, designed to cause trouble."
“We have seen hundreds of people turn up to dozens of protests peacefully – this was not peaceful protest, it was criminality."
A police dispersal order was put in place Friday evening which gave officers powers to disperse anyone in the area of Epping suspected of anti-social behaviour – or suspected of planning to commit anti-social behaviour – to leave the area.
One man was also issued with a Section 42 Notice yesterday evening, under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001.
Ch Supt Anslow said: “This is an important act which allows us to order individuals to leave the area of an address if they are stopping those living there doing something they are allowed to do, or making them do something they don’t have to, and causing them harassment or distress. That’s the kind of behaviour we witnessed and acted upon last night."