PEOPLE involved in violent disorder that saw crowds attempt to storm homes they believed to be linked to asylum seekers will face the "full force of the law", police chiefs have warned.
Crowds gathered on Thursday in the Norfolk town of Thetford for a third consecutive night of anti-immigration disorder.
Two police officers were taken to hospital following a series of “fast-moving and volatile” incidents which saw police clash with the crowds as they moved towards a residential housing block.
During the night one officer was hit with a rock, one was bitten and another spat at with others being subjected to "significant aggression."
The crowds proceeded to attempt to enter the properties, smashing windows and breaking down fences. Norfolk Police chief constable Paul Sanford said some asylum seekers had to be escorted from their homes as a result of the unrest.
He told the BBC’s Today programme: “We did have people protesting in the Thetford area who were targeting addresses they believed were housing asylum seekers, and on a couple of occasions, that required us to escort the residents of those properties away for their safety.”
When asked what might have happened if officers had not intervened, he said: “I think it’s highly likely that the protesters would have got into the property, they would have created a significant problem, and really threatened the safety of the occupants, and indeed the protesters themselves.”
'We cannot possibly allow mob rule, vigilante style activity to destabalise our communities' Labour MP Terry Jermy, whose constituency covers Thetford, spoke to #BBCBreakfast after more arrests were made in the Norfolk town as disorder linked to anti-immigration protests… pic.twitter.com/xyd7VOmaO0
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) August 7, 2026
The incident prompted local Labour MP Terry Jermy to condemn the violence, saying: "We cannot possibly allow mob rule, vigilante style activity to destabilise our communities".
Speaking on BBC Breakfast on Friday morning, he added: "They are scaring and terrifying people that live in Thetford, particularly people from minority ethnic communities who were contacting me, terrified, [that] they're going to be misidentified as an asylum seeker and attacked.
"We've had mixed-race children being asked by other children if they're asylum seekers or immigrants.
"We have got to draw a line.
"We can debate about immigration, how do you process the [applications made by] asylum seekers, but there needs to be some rules of engagement and basic respect for humanity as part of this."
Home Office minister Anna Turley told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “The scenes we saw in Norfolk are horrendous, and anybody thinking that they can go under the guise of a protest – which is of course, you know, we all have the right to protest in this country – but then to escalate that into violence, into attacks and intimidation, and particularly attacks on our police and emergency services, is absolutely not acceptable and they will be dealt with in the right way.”
A man in his 40s was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of inciting racial hatred related to events on Wednesday.
Another man, also in his 40s, was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly and failing to provide details to police when asked.
Two further arrests were made on Wednesday night for offences including public order, harassment and possession of an offensive weapon.
A man aged in his 30s, who was arrested on Wednesday following Tuesday’s incidents on suspicion of a public order offence, has since been released and issued with a conditional caution.
Sanford defended the Norfolk police officers after some members of the crowd accused them of using excess force, saying on the BBC's Today Programme that he "absolutely refute[s]" that.
“We have people who are exercising their right to protest and, of course, we will support that,” he said. “There are people who live in Thetford who are concerned, understandably concerned, about some of the things that are happening in their town.
“However, across three consecutive nights, a group of people have crossed the line as to what is acceptable. We have been appropriately policing those behaviours.
“I’ve seen the reports of heavy handedness. We’ve been firm. We’ve been firm with people who have broken the law.
“If people wander into an active protest and ignore calls from the police to stand back, then there is a high likelihood that they might get caught up in what occurs. But my officers have done a fantastic job.
“I’ve had two police officers hospitalised as a result of the incident on Wednesday night.
“The people who perpetrated those offences should expect the full force of the law, and I will be pushing for the strongest possible sanction.”
