Locals in Epping have welcomed an injunction to block asylum seekers from being housed at a nearby hotel, but raised concerns the decision would only “kick the can down the road”.
Epping Forest District Council was granted a temporary High Court injunction on Tuesday blocking asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex.
Several protests and counter-protests have been held in the town since Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, a then-resident at the hotel, was charged with trying to kiss a teenage girl, which he denies.
Following the decision on Tuesday, a crowd of about a dozen people gathered outside the hotel brandishing flags, shouting “We’ve won” and popping sparkling wine, while passing traffic honked their horns at them.
A few police cars were parked nearby with officers standing outside the hotel, which is fenced in.
Other residents gave a mixed reaction to the injunction, with some saying they were glad to “see it gone”.
But others cited concerns about where the asylum seekers currently housed inside the hotel would be moved to in light of the court’s decision.
Callum Barker, 21, a construction worker who lives next to the hotel, was handing out leaflets at the protest including the names of three men staying at the Bell Hotel who are alleged to have committed criminal offences.
He said he was in favour of the injunction.
Mr Barker told the PA news agency: “Our community’s in danger and we don’t want these people here.
“I’m ecstatic; I haven’t stopped smiling. For five years, this hotel’s blighted us. Everyone’s had their complaints and reservations about it and I’m really glad to see it gone.
“I think nationally there will be more protests; I hope so. We want people to get out into their communities, get rid of these hotels.
“It’s not right they’re here on taxpayers’ dime while British people struggle.
“They get three meals a day and a roof over their head while kids go hungry in school and have to rely on free dinners and I think it’s terrible. The asylum system is broken.”
In the town centre, Charlotte, 33, a solicitor living in Epping, said: “I think it’s kicking the can down the road because where are they going to go?
“Personally, I have lived here for four years and I’ve never had an issue, never noticed any problems with any asylum seekers living in the hotel a mile away.
“With the injunction today, I don’t know what the long-term solution is going to be because they have to be housed somewhere so what’s the alternative?
“I don’t partake in (the protests). I think people are allowed to have a right of free speech but what annoys me about them is I’m on community groups on Facebook and it seems if you’re not speaking about it you’re presumed to be completely for it when I think a lot of people are in the middle.
“There are extremists at these protests every week.”
Michael Barnes, 61, a former carpenter from Epping, said he was happy about the High Court’s decision.
He said: “The question is, where does it go from here? I don’t love them on my doorstep but, in fairness, they’ve got to live somewhere.
“I don’t think it’s all of them, it’s just the minority of them that get up to no good.”
Gary Crump, 63, a self-employed lift consultant living just outside of Epping, said: “I was quite pleased it’s actually happened.
“I don’t think they should be housed in the hotels like they are.
“We haven’t got the infrastructure here. The doctors’ surgery is filled up in the mornings with people from there with translators. Everything is pushing the limits. We’re an island. We’re full.
“I’ve got no reason to be against people coming into the UK but I do think that the reasons given are not true in a lot of cases.”
Ryan Martin, 39, who runs a natural health business, said: “It’s a good thing. When people spend a lot of money to live in this area, they want to feel safe.
“Them shutting it down probably happened because of the noise that was made about it and the reaction they saw from people because there was a strong reaction.
“It was taking a while to happen but people finally got up to protest against them being here.”
Arrest warrants issued after women fail to appear for Jellycat thefts sentencing
‘Victory for mums and dads’ as asylum seekers removed from Essex hotel
Ministers braced for further legal challenges after High Court Epping decision
FTSE posts new closing high as falls in defence stocks are offset by retail gains
