A resident of a hotel housing asylum seekers has been assaulted, police say, after they responded to reports of people throwing firecrackers and flares outside the property.

Officers were called to the Bell Hotel on Friday evening, where people were throwing smoke bombs.

Essex Police said the antisocial behaviour was not carried out by legitimate protesters and was a "change from the peaceful protect we saw on Thursday and on many occasions before".

Police also received reports a resident of the hotel was assaulted, and arrested a 49-year-old man from Harlow in connection with this.

He remains in custody.

One man was also issued with a Section 42 Notice yesterday evening, under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. This is a legal power that allows police to direct someone to leav

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