A wave of unrest has gripped Epping, Essex, as the local council unanimously voted to urge the Government to permanently close the Bell Hotel, currently housing asylum seekers, following a string of protests and escalating tensions in the community.
Since mid-July 2025, the Bell Hotel has been the focal point of repeated demonstrations sparked by the arrest of Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, a 38-year-old Ethiopian asylum seeker charged with the alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl. Kebatu has denied the charges and is set to stand trial in August.
Dozens of protesters have gathered outside the hotel, with numbers swelling to several hundred during a march on July 24, 2025, that proceeded from the hotel to the Epping Forest District Council offices. Despite heavy rain, chants of "Save our kids" echoed through the streets, reflecting community fears and frustrations.
The unrest has led to a significant police presence, with officers drafted in from across the country, including Staffordshire, Hertfordshire, and Colchester. Over £100,000 has been spent on policing these events. To manage the demonstrations, metal fencing was erected around the Bell Hotel and along High Road to separate protesters and counter-protesters and to allow traffic flow.
Essex Police have arrested 18 individuals in connection with the protests, charging seven with offenses such as violent disorder, criminal damage, and refusing to remove face coverings when directed. One arrest was made on July 24 for breaching a Section 60AA order, which prohibits concealing one's identity during protests. Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow praised peaceful protesters but warned that disorder would not be tolerated, stating, "We won’t tolerate anyone thinking they can come and cause trouble or breach the orders we’ve put in place to keep people safe. My message is clear – we will deal with you."
The Epping Forest District Council meeting on July 24, 2025, was marked by impassioned speeches and a unanimous vote calling on the Government to close the Bell Hotel immediately and permanently. The motion also called for the closure of the Phoenix Hotel in Bobbingworth, another asylum seeker accommodation site recently linked to an arson incident.
Council leader Chris Whitbread expressed grave concern over the situation, highlighting that repeated warnings to the Home Office about the unsuitability of these sites had been ignored. He said, "The presence of asylum seeker accommodation in this district is clearly creating community tension. These large-scale protests are disrupting local life and placing an unwelcome burden on Essex Police resources." Whitbread also warned that extremist groups were exploiting the protests, stating, "I am concerned that our residents' peaceful protests are being infiltrated on the extremes of politics."
Indeed, far-right groups, including the Homeland Party—a splinter faction of the neo-Nazi Patriotic Alternative—have been accused of stoking tensions in the area. Members of this group administer the Facebook page "Epping Says No," which has organised some demonstrations. The local council and police have condemned the involvement of such extremist elements, emphasizing that violence and disorder have no place in the district.
During the council meeting, Conservative councillor Holly Whitbread criticized colleagues who had stood alongside neo-Nazis at protests, recalling her grandfather's fight against such ideologies in World War II. She declared, "Anyone who stands side by side with them should hang their head in shame." Fellow Conservative councillor Shane Yerrell urged caution against labeling all protesters as extremists, reading a heartfelt statement from the father of the alleged assault victim, which received a standing ovation. The statement underscored the community's pain and the desire for peaceful resolution, with the father saying, "My daughter is reading the messages of support and it's making her smile again."
Jaymey McIvor, the sole Reform UK councillor present, echoed community fears, lamenting that more councillors had not attended the protests to listen directly to residents. He condemned violence and called for the hotel's closure, despite his controversial claims—refuted by Essex Police—that "far left thuggery" had been escorted to the hotel to provoke unrest.
Liberal Democrat councillor Janet Whitehouse, also Epping Town mayor, expressed sympathy for the asylum seekers, noting, "We don't know the situation of the people placed there. It's very sad that the picture of Epping being seen nationally and internationally is one of violence." She urged that the community's compassion not be lost amid the turmoil.
The Home Office has responded to the crisis by emphasizing ongoing efforts to overhaul the asylum system. A spokesperson explained that the number of hotels used for asylum seekers had been reduced from over 400 in summer 2023 to fewer than 210, with a goal to close all by the end of the current Parliament. They highlighted the removal of more than 35,000 individuals with no right to remain in the UK and pledged to work closely with local police and community partners to manage the situation responsibly.
Despite these assurances, local authorities remain critical of the lack of transparency regarding who is housed in these hotels and the risks posed to the community. Roger Hirst, Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, wrote to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper requesting a meeting to discuss the ongoing use of asylum hotels in the district, citing the "community tension" and the strain on police resources caused by the protests.
Cooper acknowledged the inherited challenges of a "broken asylum and immigration system," noting a 28% increase in returns of failed asylum seekers since the last election and a reduction of 6,000 asylum seekers in hotels over the past six months. However, she admitted that reform takes time.
The situation in Epping has also sparked wider protests, with dozens gathering outside the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf following false reports that asylum seekers were being relocated there at a cost of £400 per person per night. This further illustrates the national sensitivity surrounding asylum accommodation.
Community reactions in Epping are deeply divided. Some residents, like Jason, a 53-year-old local, feel the protests are a long time coming and justified, despite condemning violence. Others, such as 20-year-old supermarket worker Tilly Nelson, have had positive interactions with some asylum seekers and worry that social media-fueled misinformation is distorting the narrative and turning protests into social events rather than safety concerns.
As the council and community grapple with this complex and charged issue, the path forward remains uncertain. The unanimous vote to close the Bell Hotel signals a clear local mandate, but ultimate authority lies with the Government. Meanwhile, police and community leaders continue to call for peaceful expression and vigilance against extremist exploitation. The story of Epping is a stark reminder of the challenges facing asylum policy, community safety, and social cohesion in modern Britain.
