Court date fixed for action against Epping hotel

Tensions have been high over the housing of 138 asylum seekers at The Bell Hotel in Epping

A legal challenge against an Essex hotel housing asylum seekers will be heard at the High Court on 15 October.

Epping Forest District Council secured a temporary injunction stopping The Bell Hotel in Epping housing migrants in August, but this was later overturned at the Court of Appeal.

However, the Conservative-run authority could still be granted a full injunction should it be successful at a three-day hearing in London.

It came after the Home Office lost a bid to push back the full hearing by six weeks.

Lawyers for the government had argued there were "very powerful reasons" for a "period of reflection" following the Court of Appeal's ruling.

The council opposed the bid, stating the case against hotel owner Somani Hotels should "proceed apace".

Epping Forest District Council had argued the hotel owner breached planning rules by housing asylum seekers

Thousands of people attended anti-immigration protests and counter-demonstrations outside the hotel between July and September.

It followed an asylum seeker housed there being arrested and charged with several offences, including the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl.

Hadush Kebatu, who is from Ethiopia, was found guilty of five offences on 4 September.

The council issued legal proceedings against Somani Hotels in August, claiming it breached planning rules by housing 138 asylum seekers.

Mr Justice Eyre granted a temporary injunction on 19 August, but the hotel owner and the Home Office got it overturned at the Court of Appeal 10 days later.

The same court also refused the council's bid to take the case to the Supreme Court.

However, the authority could still ask the UK's highest court directly for a hearing to challenge the decision.