Anti-immigration protester denies breaking county ban

Anthony Barnes covered his face as he left Guildford Magistrates' Court on Tuesday

A man who calls himself 'The Hotel Investigator' has denied breaking a community protection notice banning him from Surrey.

It is alleged that Anthony Barnes, 45, from London, broke the notice by attending an anti-immigration protest at a hotel in Horley in August.

Mr Barnes, who has more than 134,000 subscribers to his YouTube account AY Audits, denied one charge of failing to comply with a community protection notice at Guildford Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

The defendant, who is choosing to represent himself, is next to appear in court on 24 September 2026.

Mr Barnes claims not to have received paperwork notifying him of his ban from Surrey and wanted to challenge its legitimacy.

The prosecution said the paperwork was signed for by recorded delivery on 28 July.

Mr Barnes also asked the court to ban the media from reporting his address, claiming he had told police there had been "multiple threats" to his life and that if "certain organisations and individuals" had his address, then his family would be in danger.

The prosecution told the court that Surrey Police said there was nothing to suggest his life was in any sort of danger.

The defendant told the court: "I run a high-profile media channel discussing certain topics", adding that it was "outrageous" that the prosecution could find no evidence of threats on his life.

He went on to object to the length of time until his next court date, saying it was a "detriment" to his life because he could not work and was "scared" to go to Surrey.

"I own a media company and my job is to report, and I can't even go into a whole county," he said.

Mr Barnes was told to leave Surrey and not return until his next court date.