The police and crime commissioner for Essex has demanded an urgent meeting with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to seek the closure of a hotel being used to house migrants.
Roger Hirst said The Bell was a totally inappropriate location for asylum seekers after violent protests.
Demonstrations have been taking place since Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was accused of attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl.
He denied the charge at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court and will stand trial in August.
Two women and a man were arrested on Sunday as far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, said on X that he was “coming to Epping next Sunday - and bringing thousands more with me”.
In a later post, Robinson said he may no longer be attending.
Essex Police previously said the cost of policing the incidents in Epping over the last week had reached £100,000.
Mr Hirst said: “The Bell is not the right place for a hotel for asylum seekers.
“It’s in the middle of a home counties market town and these are people who have a very different life experience arriving there. There are schools in the vicinity as well. It is not the right place.
“It’s costing hundreds of thousands of pounds. It’s a lot of police overtime. This is not what we need to be happening on a regular basis in the town. It’s a diversion of resources from what police officers should be doing.”
Epping Forest District Council passed a motion on Thursday to call on the Government “to immediately and permanently close” the hotel “for the purposes of asylum processing”.
The council unanimously voted in favour of the motion.
Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper said: “We continue to support the right to peaceful protest but continue to warn those intent on attending to disrupt and cause damage that affects the people of Epping, that they are not welcome here.
“We’re continuing to investigate previous incidents of violence and disorder linked to a small number of individuals and carry out enquires to identify those responsible. “It means that they too will appear in court.”
