Police have denied “bussing” anti-racism protesters to a demonstration outside a taxpayer-funded hotel housing asylum seekers in Epping - but have admitted to escoring them their “for
Essex Police said it provided a “foot cordon” for protesters but said claims officers “bussed” counter-demonstrators to the Bell Hotel were “categorically wrong”.
The force said the protests began peacefully but “escalated to the point of disorder and criminal damage”, with eight officers injured at one demonstration outside the hotel on Thursday evening.
Anti-migrant protesters claimed the arrival of counter-demonstrators during the march sparked the largest outbreak of street violence in England since last summer’s riots.
Six people have been charged with offences related to the disorder in Epping, including the assault of two hotel security guards. Police have made 10 arrests.
Claims around the deliberate use of counter-demonstrators being taken to the protests led to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage calling for Essex Police’s chief constable to resign on Wednesday.
Alongside footage shared in a post on X, the Clacton MP said: “This video proves @EssexPoliceUK transported left-wing protesters to the Bell Hotel in Epping. There is no way Chief Constable BJ Harrington can stay in position.”
🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨
— Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) July 23, 2025
This video proves @EssexPoliceUK transported left-wing protestors to The Bell hotel in Epping.
There is no way Chief Constable BJ Harrington can stay in position. pic.twitter.com/tN07UFEGca
But in a statement released shortly afterwards, a force spokesperson said: “There are claims on social media that Essex Police officers ‘bussed’ protesters to the protest outside the Bell Hotel on Thursday July 17.
“This is categorically wrong.
“Officers did provide a foot cordon around protesters on their way to the protest, where they and others were allowed to exercise their right to protest.
“Later, some people who were clearly at risk of being hurt were also escorted by vehicle away from the area for their safety.
“To reiterate, we categorically did not drive any counter-protesters to the site on any occasion.”
Essex Police previously said the cost of policing the incidents in Epping over the last week had reached £100,000.
The force has now issued a dispersal order in the town following the protests.
The order, which is in place from 2pm on Thursday until 8am on Friday, covers an area including the town centre and transport hubs and networks such as the tube station.
It gives officers the power to direct anyone suspected of committing anti-social behaviour, or planning to do so, to leave the area or face arrest.
When asked about the protest, Immigration Minister Seema Malhotra told LBC: "I will leave it to Essex Police to answer those questions.”
She added: "But I will just tell you what I see, which is the same thing that happens up and down the country every year at marches, at protests, at football matches and so on, which is if you have two rival groups heading to the same location, the police will usually put up a cordon around which the smaller group can avoid.
"So together [the police] can avoid any clashes and ensure they're between the two, [and] ensure that they keep the two groups separate.
"And that's why there will be questions for Essex Police to answer.”
Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper said: “We have a reasonable duty to protect people who want to exercise their rights.
“In terms of bringing people to the hotel, the police have a duty to facilitate free assembly. We would only ever take people away from protest if we felt there was an immediate threat to people or property, to free up police resources, to protect others, or to prevent additional violence.
“In Epping, officers took all three of those into account before making their decisions.”
The protests at The Bell Hotel came after asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was charged with sexual assault following an incident where he is alleged to have attempted to kiss a 14-year-old girl.
Kebatu denied the charge when he appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court last week.
The row spread to London on Tuesday after claims that migrants housed in Epping were being moved to The Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf.
The Home Office denied the claims.
