Staff and asylum seekers attacked at Knowsley hotel, police say

A police van was set on fire after a protest turned violent on 10 February

Asylum seekers have been attacked and abused outside a hotel which saw violent anti-migrant protests in February, police have said.

Merseyside Police said staff and residents at Knowsley's Suites Hotel had been targeted, along with "people wrongly assumed to be connected to the premises".

Fifteen people were arrested after the disorder at the hotel on 10 February.

The force said it was investigating 10 further crimes linked to the hotel.

Supt Karl Baldwin said the incidents, which had been reported since the February disorder, included "assaults, malicious communications and verbal abuse".

"The incident in February put those in the community and our officers at risk," he said.

"Those involved used rumours and allegations as an excuse to commit violence and intimidate members of the public."

'Real world consequences'

He said the hotel had reported calls of a "racist and obscene nature" on 11 February, which had led to a 51-year-old Kirkby man being arrested and bailed.

He said the force was also investigating an attack on a group of males by two men in Southdene Park on 27 February and an assault the following day, which saw two males on electric bikes attack a man with batons.

"Other incidents have been reported where people have been verbally abused near to the hotel," he added.

"Violence, threats and harassment targeting anyone will not be tolerated, and are completely inexcusable.

"For residents and staff connected to the premises to be targeted is despicable, and we will continue to work closely with the premises, as well as our partners, residents and communities to ensure all information is acted upon."

The disorder on 10 February saw police in riot gear deployed to the hotel

He said the force would investigate "every incident that is reported to us".

"We are aware that there is a lot of concern throughout our community, concern that we are taking very seriously.

"Despicably, some are choosing to prey upon that concern on social media by using falsehoods, misinformation and inflammatory language.

"We encourage everyone to view such information sceptically [as] what plays out online can have real world consequences that put innocent people in harm's way."

A force representative said officers were continuing to investigate the disorder at the protest.

They said Jared Skeete, 19, from Aigburth, Liverpool, was convicted of violent disorder earlier in the week and would be sentenced on 17 April.

Speaking in Parliament on Monday, the area's Labour MP Sir George Howarth said the situation locally had "deteriorated" since the protest and had led to refugees who fled violence abroad finding themselves "in an unsafe position in this country".

He added that the situation was "shameful"

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