Violence broke out for a second consecutive night in the Norfolk market town of Thetford on Wednesday, after anti-immigration protesters allegedly tried to force their way into a residential property believed to be housing asylum seekers, leaving three police officers injured and prompting further arrests.
Norfolk Police said officers responded at around 9:30pm to reports that a group had gathered on Clover Way and were attempting to gain access to the property. As officers intervened, members of the crowd turned physically aggressive. A female officer was seriously bitten, breaking the skin, while a male officer was struck by a rock; both were taken to hospital. A third officer was spat at during the confrontation, and windows at the property were damaged as police worked to restore order.
Two men were arrested on Wednesday night on offences including public order, harassment and possession of an offensive weapon. One man in his 40s remains in custody. The second, identified as 68-year-old Brian Thompson of Fairfields, Thetford, has been charged with possession of an offensive weapon — a wooden bat — and released on bail. He is due to appear before Norwich Magistrates’ Court on August 25.
Police said the disorder followed a “largely peaceful” anti-immigration protest held earlier outside Thetford Police Station. It marked the second night of unrest in the town, after incidents on Tuesday in which crowds of between 30 and 50 people smashed windows, damaged fences and attempted to break into homes on St John’s Way, amid fears the properties were being used to accommodate asylum seekers. Video circulated on social media appeared to show several men being escorted from the houses by officers as an angry crowd shouted for them to leave.
Norfolk Police said several men believed to be staying at the targeted properties were moved to a place of safety after the crowd targeted multiple homes in the area, with officers acting to prevent further violence. Investigations into the unrest are continuing.
The unrest in Thetford comes amid a wider wave of anti-migrant protests and counter-demonstrations across England in recent weeks, including at asylum accommodation sites in Epping and elsewhere.