A resident of a hotel housing asylum seekers has been assaulted, police say, after they responded to reports of people throwing firecrackers and flares outside the property.
Officers were called to the Bell Hotel on Friday evening, where people were throwing smoke bombs.
Essex Police said the antisocial behaviour was not carried out by legitimate protesters and was a “change from the peaceful protect we saw on Thursday and on many occasions before”.
Police also received reports a resident of the hotel was assaulted, and arrested a 49-year-old man from Harlow in connection with this.
He remains in custody.
One man was also issued with a Section 42 Notice yesterday evening, under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. This is a legal power that allows police to direct someone to leave the area if their presence is believed to be causing alarm or distress.
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.
“In fact, flares were being lit and thrown by those purporting to protest, but there is a stark difference between criminal behaviour and those seeking to genuinely exercise their right to protest.”
He continued: “Flares, firecrackers and smoke bombs are not peaceful. Assaulting those living at the hotel is not peaceful. Surrounding and intimidating people living in the hotel is not peaceful.”
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A dispersal order was put in place on Friday evening, which gives officers the power to disperse anyone suspected of anti-social behaviour.
