Police make more arrests as anti-immigration unrest enters third night in Thetford
In Thetford, eastern England, made two more arrests on Thursday as anti-immigration unrest stretched into a third night and forced asylum seekers out of
Police in Thetford, eastern England, made two more arrests on Thursday as anti-immigration unrest stretched into a third night and forced asylum seekers out of properties for their own safety. The total number detained rose to five.
Norfolk Police said officers moved residents from homes in the market town after crowds tried to force their way into properties they believed were housing asylum seekers. The force said protesters showed “significant aggression” toward officers. One male officer was hit by a rock. A female officer was seriously bitten. Skin broken. Tension rose fast.
Homes targeted as crowds gathered
Witnesses described rocks and eggs being thrown during protests on Clover Way on Wednesday night, with chants of “we want them out” heard among crowds that police said reached up to 200 people. Officers also reported attempts to enter homes on Tuesday and Wednesday night.
Paul Sanford, Norfolk’s chief constable, urged the public not to jump to conclusions about who lived at the addresses targeted by protesters. He said officers had to escort residents away from some properties “for their safety”.
That intervention appears to have prevented matters from escalating further. Had police not stepped in, Sanford said it was highly likely protesters would have broken into the homes.
Wider anger over asylum plans
The disorder comes amid local unease over proposals to convert RAF Barnham, a former military base just over the border in Suffolk, into accommodation for as many as 3,750 asylum seekers. The site has become a flashpoint for anger well beyond Thetford, where rumours about local housing have fuelled the unrest.
Norfolk Police said it had also put a dispersal order in place in the Canterbury Way area, giving officers wider powers to deal with anti-social behaviour and face coverings when necessary. The force has defended its response to the violence as proportionate.
Officers remain in the area. More arrests are possible. Sanford’s warning was blunt: residents should not make assumptions, because the rumours driving the disorder are doing real damage already.
