Homes Attacked in Anti-Migrant Disorder
Crowds attacked properties they believed were housing asylum seekers on Thursday, smashing windows in scenes of disorder that saw a police officer seriously injured. The officer was bitten during the trouble, and arrests were made. The unrest revived memories of the violence that flared around asylum accommodation last year.
Tensions over the housing of asylum seekers in hotels and homes have repeatedly spilled into confrontation, inflamed by misinformation and by anger over Channel crossings. Community leaders and the police have warned that vulnerable people and officers are being put at risk. The disorder comes amid a charged national debate over immigration, with Reform UK pressing hardline plans and the government struggling to show it can control the borders. Ministers have condemned attacks on asylum accommodation as criminal. Watch whether the trouble spreads and how the police respond.