Police step up powers in Thetford after violent anti-immigration unrest

Police stepped up powers in Thetford on Thursday after violent anti-immigration unrest spread into a third night, with arrests made as crowds tried to storm homes linked to asylum seekers and officers faced fresh attacks. Norfolk Police said significant police resources had been deployed as the market town grappled with the disorder.

The trouble began on Tuesday, when officers attended unrest at three addresses in Thetford. The disorder continued the following night, leaving two police officers injured after the second night of violence. One male officer was hit with a rock and a female officer was seriously bitten as they responded, according to police accounts of the clashes.

By Thursday morning, the situation had escalated again. Police made arrests as the unrest continued and footage appeared to show five men being escorted from houses in Thetford by officers while an angry crowd booed and shouted, "get out". The stepped-up powers came after that footage circulated and as the town braced for further disorder.

Radio NewsHub said two men were arrested after officers were taken to hospital during the unrest. The Eastern Daily Press said local political reaction followed as the violence and protest unfolded, underscoring how quickly the disorder had moved from isolated addresses to a wider public confrontation on the streets of the Norfolk town.

Norfolk Police have not described the unrest as a one-off flare-up. With three consecutive nights of trouble, injuries to officers and arrests already made, the force faced the immediate task of restoring order in a charged atmosphere where anti-immigration anger and hostility toward asylum seekers had become the central spark.