Council wins bid to stop hotel housing asylum seekers

A council has won its High Court bid to temporarily block asylum seekers from being housed at The Bell Hotel in Essex – despite a late bid by the government to intervene.

The injunction was sought by Epping Forest District Council to stop migrants being placed at the venue in Epping, which is owned by Somani Hotels Limited.

Thousands of people have protested near the site in recent weeks after an asylum seeker living there was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.

Mr Justice Eyre made his judgement after refusing an 11th hour effort from Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to get the council's case dismissed.

The Home Office had warned the outcome would "substantially impact" its ability to house asylum seekers in hotels across the UK.

But Conservative council leader Chris Whitbread said repeated protests in Epping were escalating tensions in the community and risked causing "irreparable harm".

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