A third consecutive night of disorder in Thetford has led to one man being charged and four others arrested, after Norfolk Constabulary deployed significant police resources amid protests targeting properties believed to be housing asylum seekers, with the force also facing criticism over its use of PAVA spray during the unrest.
A man has been charged and four others arrested following three consecutive nights of unrest in Thetford, Norfolk, where protesters have reportedly attempted to break into properties believed to be housing migrants. Norfolk Constabulary said it deployed “significant police resources” on Wednesday and Thursday nights, after disorder first broke out on Tuesday. The force introduced special public safety powers across the town, including measures allowing officers to require people to remove face coverings or face arrest. The Home Office has condemned the unrest, warning that anyone involved in criminal activity “will face the full force of the law.”
Three nights of disorder
Trouble began in the market town on Tuesday evening, when some people attempted to enter properties thought to be linked to housing for illegal migrants. Further attempts followed on Wednesday, prompting Norfolk Police to significantly increase its presence in the town. By Thursday night, officers were seen removing people from one of the properties involved.
To help manage the unrest, Norfolk Police introduced a Section 60AA authorisation under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, giving officers the power to require individuals to remove face coverings in areas where disorder was anticipated, with refusal to comply risking arrest. The force also implemented a Section 34 dispersal order under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, allowing officers to instruct people to leave the area in an effort to prevent further disorder.
Arrests and charges
Norfolk Police said two arrests were made on Wednesday night, for offences including public order, harassment and possession of an offensive weapon. A man in his 40s arrested that night remains in custody.
Brian Thompson, 68, of Fairfields, Thetford, has since 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 25 August. Separately, a man in his 30s who had been arrested on Wednesday in connection with Tuesday’s disorder, on suspicion of a public order offence, has since been released and issued with a conditional caution.
Of two further arrests made on Thursday, one man was detained on suspicion of inciting racial hatred in connection with Wednesday’s events, while a second was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly and of failing to provide his details to police when asked to do so.
Force defends use of PAVA spray
Police have faced criticism after being accused of using PAVA incapacitant spray on a woman using a mobility scooter during the disorder. A force spokeswoman said the spray was “deployed proportionately” in response to behaviour within the crowd, adding: “We understand that concerns have been raised about a woman using a mobility scooter who was affected during the incident. It was not the intention for any bystander to be impacted, however, where people remain within an area of active disorder and do not follow police instructions to move away, there is a risk they may be affected by tactics deployed to protect public safety.”
Background to the properties
Norfolk Police confirmed the unrest followed local concerns about properties believed to be housing asylum seekers or migrants. The Home Office does not routinely disclose the location of asylum accommodation for security reasons, and officials have not publicly confirmed the immigration status of those living in the properties in Thetford. Under UK law, asylum seekers are generally unable to choose where they are housed, with accommodation arranged through Home Office contractors while their claims are processed.
The Home Office said it “strongly condemns” violence, intimidation and criminal damage directed at accommodation used to house asylum seekers, and said anyone involved in criminality should expect to face prosecution.
Local reaction
Local Reform councillor Scott Hussey said “half of Norfolk Police” had turned out on Wednesday to “guard an HMO housing six young male migrants,” having shared footage the night before showing what he described as “30 coppers guarding a Home Office HMO housing male migrants next to a primary school.” Describing the scenes he witnessed, Hussey said: “There were some skirmishes, it was a spirited protest but I didn’t see any violence.”
Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner Colin Sutton offered a similar assessment of local sentiment, telling the BBC: “If you put these illegal immigrants in the middle of housing estates close to schools, next door to people, into communities who have had absolutely no say in it, then I think it’s a pretty reasonable expectation that the people there are not going to be happy about it.” He added: “The fact is that we’re getting about 1,000 a week of these people coming in on small boats, and we’re running out of places to put them.”
Local Labour MP Terry Jermy struck a different note, saying that while he did not know the immigration status of “the people in these properties,” he wanted them to be given “the same rights that we all expect in this country.”
Police urge caution online
Officers have urged the public not to speculate online about the identities or immigration status of those living at the properties involved, warning that misinformation risks inflaming tensions further and could hinder the ongoing police investigation. Norfolk Police said it would maintain a high-visibility presence in Thetford while enquiries continue, in an effort to reassure local residents following the unrest.
