BBC News, Essex
PA MediaAsylum seekers are due to be removed from an Essex hotel after a council was granted a temporary High Court injunction blocking them from being housed there.
The injunction was sought by Epping Forest District Council to stop migrants being placed at The Bell Hotel in Epping, which is owned by Somani Hotels Limited.
Thousands of people have protested near the hotel in recent weeks after an asylum seeker living there was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in the town.
Mr Justice Eyre made his judgement after refusing an 11th-hour effort from Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to get the council’s case dismissed.
All asylum seekers must be moved out of the hotel by 16:00 BST on 12 September, the judge ruled.
The Home Office had warned the decision would “substantially impact” its ability to house asylum seekers in hotels across the UK.
Protests staged outside The Bell Hotel have been attended by both people against its use for asylum seekers and those in support of migrant rights.
But Conservative council leader Chris Whitbread said the repeated demonstrations were escalating tensions in the area and risked causing “irreparable harm”.
Reacting to the court ruling, he added: “The last few weeks have placed an intolerable strain on our community but today we have some great news.
“For the first time in weeks we can see a chink of light at the end of the tunnel.”
Sixteen people have been charged with offences relating to disturbances during several protests, which Essex Police said became violent on occasion.
Representing the council, Philip Coppel KC agreed some protests “have unfortunately been attended by violence and disorder”.
He said Somani Hotels “did not advise or notify the local planning authority” to seek its views on the use of the site which he argued was not a hotel in the usual sense any more.
He told the court it was “no more a hotel than a borstal [was] to a young offender”.
Lawyers for the hotel and home secretary confirmed in court they wished to appeal against the injunction before a full hearing was listed in the autumn.
It followed a failed last-minute attempt by the Home Office to get the case dismissed.
Edward Brown KC, for the government, said any injunction could lead to other councils making similar applications.
“That would aggravate the pressures on the asylum estate,” he added.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage described the ruling as a “victory for parents and concerned residents of Epping”.
“This community stood up bravely, despite being slandered as far right, and have won. They represent the vast majority of decent people in this country,” he added.
Protests began outside the building after 41-year-old Hadush Kebatu, from Ethiopia, was charged with sexual assault, harassment and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity.
He denied the offences and remained in custody ahead of a two-day trial, due to begin next Tuesday.
