How did we get here?published at 12:59 British Summer Time
12:59 BST
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption,
Protesters calling for the closure of the the Bell Hotel in Epping
The Home Office and owners of the Bell Hotel have challenged a High Court ruling that would stop asylum seekers from staying at the hotel, which has housed asylum seekers intermittently since 2020.
Here’s a brief look back at how we got here:
8 July: Essex Police are alerted to reports of a man acting inappropriately towards a teenager in High Road, Epping.
Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, who lived at the Bell Hotel, is arrested and later charged with three counts of sexual assault, one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and one count of harassment without violence. He denies all the offences.
13 July: Protests, including some violent clashes, begin at the hotel. Thousands of people have attended anti-immigration protests and counter-demonstrations since.
12 August: Epping Forest District Council applies for an interim High Court injunction to remove asylum seekers from the Bell Hotel.
19 August: A High Court judge grants the temporary injunction, ordering asylum seekers at the site to be moved out by 12 September.
22 August: The government seeks the right to appeal against the High Court ruling.
26 August: The owner of the Bell Hotel is granted permission to challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal.
Yesterday: The council, hotel owners and the home secretary’s team present their arguments in the Court of Appeal.
Today: A decision will be made on the appeal at 14:00 – we’ll be keeping a close eye on developments and will bring you the latest.