BBC
Three people have been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder following clashes outside a hotel providing refuge for asylum seekers on Merseyside.
Crowds gathered near the Suites Hotel in Knowsley, where a police van was set on fire.
Merseyside Police said officers had been dealing with what they described as an “initially peaceful protest”.
The force said missiles had been thrown but there were no reports of injuries.
The Suites Hotel is located in the Ribblers Lane area of Knowsley, and has been previously named as one where asylum seekers have been housed.
Knowsley MP Sir George Howarth called for calm, saying: “I have referred an alleged incident posted on social media, which has triggered a demonstration outside the Suites Hotel, to Merseyside Police and Knowsley Council.
“Until the police have investigated the matter, it is too soon to jump to conclusions, and the effort on the part of some to inflame the situation is emphatically wrong.”
Sir George added: “Those demonstrating against refugees at this protest tonight do not represent this community.”
The BBC is yet to establish the nature of the protest.
‘Violent and frightening’
Clare Mosley, founder of refugee charity Care4Calais, told the BBC she had been part of a counter-protest in solidarity with migrants.
She said she was “deeply shocked and shaken” to see “hundreds” of protesters, who she described as “far-right”, angry at migrants in the hotel.
The protesters had broken through police lines to surround the hotel at around 20:15 GMT, Ms Mosley added, describing the scene as “like a war zone”.
She said: “The far-right people were very organised and very violent.
“All you could hear was fighting in every direction. Fireworks going off, banging, locks flying, smashing glass, and you could hear people shouting.
“The police van went right up in flames and exploded, then [the protesters] broke through again and started fighting with the police.”
She added that counter protesters had been “barricaded in a car park”.
“We were stuck there for ages, whilst the police were fighting in different areas.
“I was really frightened for us, I was really frightened for the people in the hotel. These are people who have come from war zones. I can’t imagine how terrifying it would be for them.”
The three people who were arrested have been taken to police stations for questioning.
A man who was staying at the hotel when…
