Norfolk MP chased through the streets over asylum seeker plans

A Labour MP was pursued through the streets of a Norfolk town by a jeering mob enraged over his government’s plans to house asylum seekers at a nearby RAF base.

Terry Jermy, the MP for South West Norfolk, was confronted by the group of around 30 people after he left a Thetford Council Meeting.

They followed him for around 400 metres through the town centre as he walked from the Guildhall to his car and then to his office, accompanied by a female member of staff and Terry Land, a Labour councillor.

The protestors demanded Mr Jermy, who is a member of the town council, answer questions about the use of RAF Barnham, around a mile from the town, to accommodate refugees.

The angry scenes, which lasted around six minutes, are now being investigated by police, which has received three separate reports of harassment.

One man, in his 30s, has been arrested on suspicion of two counts of harassment and a public order offence.

The encounter was filmed by members of the group, as well as by Mr Land.

In the group’s footage, which has been posted online, the can be heard shouting at Mr Jermy calling him “disgraceful” and a “loser”, with one man warning him that if “anyone gets stabbed up, raped, or any harm” comes to pass, it would be on his “shoulders” in a “personal capacity”.

Mr Land, a fellow town councillor and a Labour member on Breckland, who walked behind Mr Jermy filming the group, became caught up in a brief physical exchange, with one man telling him: “Don’t push me”.

The incident happened on the evening of June 18, before the Ministry of Defence had confirmed RAF Barnham, on the Norfolk-Suffolk border, was one of three military sites to be used to house asylum seekers, as part of the government’s plans to reduce the use of hotels for such accommodation.

A protest on Sunday outside the gates of the base drew around 200 demonstrators.

Locals had long been speculating that Barnham would be used for asylum accommodation and trouble had been brewing before the meeting.

Demonstrators – understood to be linked to Thetford Council Watch, a self-styled watchdog group made up of members of the public – gathered outside the Guildhall and placed signs outside, with one aimed at Mr Jermy that read: “MP protected rape gangs.”

In a video posted to YouTube, one man was interviewed before the meeting and outlined his intention to confront the MP, saying: “Whatever exit he wants to hide from, we’re going to be here,” and warning that the group planned to deliver a “verbal notice”.

At least 20 demonstrators then filed into the council chamber, demanding the chance to question councillors about the base.

But they were told that, because this was an extraordinary meeting – called to sign off the council’s end-of-year audit – there would be no public question time.

The group left shortly afterwards, with a man named Mark addressing the crowd to complain about how they had been treated.

As councillors and officers tried to leave the building, a group gathered outside to confront them.

Mr Jermy, who donned a white shirt and a backpack, was followed to his car by the crowd, including the man who had earlier issued the warning and who led the questioning.

In footage of the confrontation, voices can be heard demanding the MP “speak to the camera” and “explain yourself”.

One man tells him: “You’re not under any threat from us right now – this is a verbal notice,” before adding the warning about harm coming to others.

As the questioning continued, Mr Land walked behind Mr Jermy and filmed the group.

At one point a brief physical exchange appears to take place between Mr Land and the main figure, with the man telling him: “Don’t push me.”

As Mr Jermy reached his car, around halfway through the chase, the MP then circled back towards his constituency office, where the mob continued to follow him, trailing him with shouts of “absolute shambles” and “disgrace”.

"Bullying, harassment and intimidation"

Mr Jermy has strongly criticised the incident, describing it as “bullying, harassment and intimidation”.

He said: “Openness and transparency are the cornerstones of any democracy, and I seek to uphold those values through my work. I am always willing to discuss my decisions, votes I take and the work I do – every person who reaches out to me through the office receives a response and I routinely hold advice surgeries.

“I am a very accessible Member of Parliament and want to continue operating in that way. I will not however, tolerate behaviour that I believe goes beyond political discourse and will not respond to people who abuse myself or my staff team.

“I will call out this behaviour for what I believe it is – bullying, harassment and intimidation, and regardless of any political differences, we should all commit to combatting this behaviour which attacks the very foundations of our democracy.”

After the MOD confirmed that it was seeking permission to use RAF Barnham for refugee accommodation Mr Jermy released a statement to say he would be “strongly objecting” to the plans.

He has previously said he “supported the principle” of using military accommodation for asylum seekers, but said there were no suitable such sites in his constituency.

Council lodges complaint

Thetford Town Council said it respected “the right of individuals to peacefully protest” but was “concerned by the conduct of several individuals” after the meeting.

“Whilst the meeting itself was largely conducted without incident, groups of protesters gathered outside the Guildhall Carnegie Complex at its conclusion and sought to confront councillors and officers as they left the building,” a spokesman said.

“Due to the atmosphere outside the venue, several councillors and members of staff felt unable to leave the building immediately and expressed concerns about their personal safety.”

The council said it had submitted a formal complaint to Norfolk Police over the handling of the incident and requested a review, including an assessment of the risks before and during the meeting.

“The council considers it unacceptable for elected members, officers, or members of the public to feel intimidated when attending or leaving a democratic meeting,” the spokesman added, stressing there was “an important distinction between peaceful protest and behaviour that may be perceived as intimidating or harassing”.

Police investigation

A spokesman for Norfolk Constabulary said the force had received three reports of harassment following the meeting at the Guildhall.

The first, at 8.15pm, involved a man who was followed to his car and verbally abused by another man.

In a second incident at 8.21pm, a man was followed by a group who were “verbally aggressive” and held onto his vehicle as he drove away.

In a third, at 8.20pm, a woman reported being followed and feeling harassed after abusive comments were made.

“Enquiries are ongoing,” the force said.