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The expenses related to handling protests in Epping are projected to reach £1.7m by October, as revealed during a recent crime panel meeting. The demonstrations in the town intensified following the arrest of an asylum seeker, Hadush Kebatu, on sexual offense charges in July. Essex Police have apprehended 32 individuals in connection with the disturbances outside The Bell Hotel, where Kebatu, who was later incarcerated, had been residing. Roger Hirst, the police, fire, and crime commissioner for Essex, acknowledged the considerable amount of resources required for the force’s response to the situation.
During the Essex crime panel meeting, Hirst mentioned that some officers had even been called in from Wales to assist them. He elaborated that Essex Police would only be eligible for government aid if costs surpassed £4m, indicating that the force would need to bear the financial burden it currently faces. Furthermore, Hirst described the predicament as a common public service dilemma where fulfilling the obligation was imperative despite the financial constraints. The most recent protest outside The Bell Hotel occurred on a Thursday evening, with Essex Police reporting that eight officers sustained injuries on 17 July due to fireworks being set off and eggs being thrown.
Epping Forest District Council has been endeavoring to prevent The Bell Hotel from accommodating asylum seekers through legal means. While the council obtained a temporary injunction in August, the decision was subsequently overturned by the Court of Appeal. The comprehensive legal proceedings will resume at the High Court on 15 October. The tensions escalated in July following Kebatu’s arrest, with the Ethiopian asylum seeker being convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman. He was sentenced to one year in prison by Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday
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