‘Before, I felt safe and the locals were nice’: asylum seekers on how Epping protests have transformed daily life

Men living in the Bell hotel in Essex tell how they have been verbally abused, chased and physically attacked

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sylum seekers living in the Essex hotel that has become a target of protests and far-right incitement have said they fear for their lives after being attacked on the streets and, in some cases, needing medical treatment afterwards.

The situation for men living in the Bell hotel, where they had previously felt safe, has been transformed since the protests began, according to another asylum seeker who was filmed being chased down the street by men involved in the demonstrations.

Speaking near the hotel in Epping, an asylum seeker who had fled war in his home country of Yemen said injuries on his face had been caused when six men attacked him while he was out walking.