Court of Appeal overturns eviction of Bell Hotel amid protests

Protests over the use of hotels to house asylum seekers flared across England at the weekend after the Court of Appeal overturned a High Court injunction that would have forced the evacuation of the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, and as confrontations erupted in London’s financial district. Senior judges on Friday quashed the temporary order that would have required 138 people to leave the Bell by September 12, saying the lower court judge had made errors in principle; the decision prompted fresh demonstrations and a series of arrests and police interventions over the weekend.

At the Court of Appeal, Lord Justice Bean, sitting with Lady Justice Nicola Davies and Lord Justice Cobb, said the earlier ruling failed to consider the practical consequences of removing occupants from one site when alternative capacity is limited. The judges also granted permission for the Home Office to challenge the High Court judge’s earlier decision not to allow the department to intervene.

Essex Police said about 200 demonstrators gathered outside Epping Forest District Council’s offices on Sunday evening and that three people were arrested, including two on suspicion of breaching a Section 14 order...