Squirming minister refuses to say whether migrant hotel will be shut amid riot fears

Squirming minister James Murray has dodged calls to close down a migrant hotel despite mounting demands for it to be shut amid rising tensions. Epping council has unanimously voted to urge the government to shut a hotel housing asylum seekers after a series of protests.

Epping Forest District Council in Essex passed a motion calling for the Bell Hotel to be "immediately and permanently" closed "for the purposes of asylum processing". Several demonstrations have been held outside the hotel since 13 July, after an asylum seeker was charged with allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. Police have arrested 18 people and charged nine in connection with the protests.

Speaking on Sky News, Mr Murray, a Treasury minsister, claimed the government would close all migrant hotels by the end of this parliament in 2029.

But a refused to say whether the hotel in Epping would be shut soon.

"We're going to end the use of asylum hotels over this parliament, and we've been clear that at the peak under the last government, was about 400 hotels being used," he said.

"That's down to just over 200 now, and more are going to be closing in the coming months.

"So look, we really do understand people's frustration with it. We need to make sure we keep bringing down those costs and get off and get on with closing asylum hotels, which we committed to do over this parliament."

Pressed again on Epping, he added: "I'm not going to comment on specific cases, but I do understand people's frustration, and whilst obviously there can never be any place for criminal violence, there's absolutely right for people to protest about this, and I absolutely get why they're so frustrated by asylum hotels, because we're frustrated too, and we want to bring it down. That's why it's been a focus."

Protests outside the Bell Hotel last Thursday began peacefully but escalated into what police described as "scattered incidents of violence," leaving eight officers injured.

Police are braced for further protests, vowing to act swiftly if unrest spreads.