Those involved in anti-immigration disorder in Thetford, where people attempted to storm homes linked to asylum seekers and police officers were assaulted, will face the “full force of the law”, a chief constable has warned.
Officers were “subjected to significant aggression” in the market town on Wednesday, with one hit with a rock, one bitten and another spat at.
Two officers were taken to hospital after responding to the scene at Clover Way that evening, which police described as “fast-moving and volatile” with tensions escalating as a crowd moved towards a residential property.
Norfolk Police said two men were arrested on Thursday following two nights of disorder.
One was arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred related to events on Wednesday. The other was on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly and failing to provide details to police when asked.
Police powers had been increased on Thursday evening in the wake of the disorder earlier in the week.
On Tuesday night, windows were smashed, fences broken and people attempted to break into a residential property, police said.
Protesters’ attempts to enter homes were sparked by fears they were being used to house asylum seekers.
Norfolk Police Chief Constable Paul Sanford said some asylum seekers had to be escorted from homes as a result of the unrest.
He told the BBC’s Today programme: “We did have people protesting in the Thetford area who were targeting addresses they believed were housing asylum seekers, and on a couple of occasions, that required us to escort the residents of those properties away for their safety.”
When asked what might have happened if officers had not intervened, he said: “I think it’s highly likely that the protesters would have got into the property, they would have created a significant problem, and really threatened the safety of the occupants, and indeed the protesters themselves.”
The chief constable said “I absolutely refute” that his officers had been too aggressive.
“We have people who are exercising their right to protest and, of course, we will support that,” he said. “There are people who live in Thetford who are concerned, understandably concerned, about some of the things that are happening in their town.
“However, across three consecutive nights, a group of people have crossed the line as to what is acceptable. We have been appropriately policing those behaviours.
“I’ve seen the reports of heavy handedness. We’ve been firm. We’ve been firm with people who have broken the law.
“If people wander into an active protest and ignore calls from the police to stand back, then there is a high likelihood that they might get caught up in what occurs. But my officers have done a fantastic job.
“I’ve had two police officers hospitalised as a result of the incident on Wednesday night.
“The people who perpetrated those offences should expect the full force of the law, and I will be pushing for the strongest possible sanction.”
Home Office minister Anna Turley told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “The scenes we saw in Norfolk are horrendous, and anybody thinking that they can go under the guise of a protest – which is of course, you know, we all have the right to protest in this country – but then to escalate that into violence, into attacks and intimidation, and particularly attacks on our police and emergency services, is absolutely not acceptable and they will be dealt with in the right way.”
Witnesses and people online had criticised the police response, with reports suggesting that a woman in a mobility scooter was pepper-sprayed on Wednesday.
The force has defended its actions as proportionate and appropriate, including the use of Pava spray.
It said Pava, a handheld incapacitating substance similar to pepper spray, was used in response to a person’s behaviour in the crowd.
Norfolk Police said two arrests were made on Wednesday night for offences including public order, harassment and possession of an offensive weapon.
Brian Thompson, 68, of Fairfields, Thetford, has been charged with possession of an offensive weapon, namely a wooden bat.
He has been released on bail and is due to appear at Norwich Magistrates’ Court on August 25.
A man aged in his 30s, who was arrested on Wednesday following Tuesday’s incidents on suspicion of a public order offence, has since been released and issued with a conditional caution.
A Government spokesperson said: “The right to protest is fundamental to our democracy and the concerns of communities are central to our immigration reforms.
“However, violence and disorder are never acceptable, and we absolutely condemn the behaviour seen in Thetford, including attacks against frontline police officers.
“We thank policing partners who we continue to work with to ensure the safety of the wider community. Anyone taking part in this criminal activity will face the full force of the law.”
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