Two men arrested following asylum hotel protest

Hundreds of protesters have attended a series of demonstations at hotels across the county

Two men have been arrested following a protest outside a hotel housing asylum seekers.

Norfolk Police said officers attended the Brook Hotel in Bowthorpe, Norwich, at about 19:20 BST on Thursday and arrested two men in their 20s on suspicion of public order offences.

One man was alleged to have been viewing offensive material and a second was alleged to have been repeatedly swearing at a member of the public.

The force said the men were connected to the hotel and were not part of the protest group.

The hotel in Barnard Road has been the scene of a number of protests in recent weeks over its use to house asylum seekers.

Police said protesters left the area of the hotel at about midnight after Thursday evening's protest.

Ch Insp Nick Palling said: "The public will be aware of previous policing operations in response to protests in Norwich over the past few weeks.

"The majority of people attend in a peaceful manner and I would like to thank them for doing so.

"Officers have worked hard to allow people to voice their views in a safe and lawful manner and this will continue."

The arrests come as Norwich City Council considers its options over the hotel in light of a High Court judgement on Tuesday.

That granted a temporary injunction to Epping Forest District Council to stop asylum seekers being placed at a hotel in Epping that has been at the centre of protests.

Norwich City Council says it continues to work with police colleagues, government and other key partners while monitoring the situation at the Brook Hotel

Other local authorities around the country have been considering their positions in light of that decision, which the government has said will substantially impact its ability to house asylum seekers in hotels/.

A Norwich City Council spokeswoman said: "We continue to work with police colleagues, government and other key partners, while closely monitoring the situation at the Brook Hotel.

"Community safety is paramount to us at this time, and all options remain open to us. We are committed to ensuring Norwich is a safe and welcoming place to residents and visitors alike."

Official figures from the Home Office show that 207 asylum seekers were housed temporarily in hotels in Norwich at the end of June, up 46 from three months earlier.

The UK total for the end of June was 32,059, which was 8% up year-on-year but 43% lower than the peak of 56,042 in September 2023.