Norfolk Police arrested two men after a second night of disorder in Thetford on Wednesday night, when a female officer was seriously bitten and a male officer was struck with a rock. The force said the response required significant police resources, and two officers were taken to hospital.
A Norfolk Police spokesperson said: “At about 9.30pm officers responded to reports that people in the group were trying to gain access to a residential property.” As police intervened, members of the group became physically aggressive towards officers. The injuries came during that response, after a large group gathered on Clover Way.
Clover Way in Thetford
Reports had circulated that asylum seekers had been moved into a house in the area by the Home Office, and a large crowd had already gathered outside the police station for an anti-immigration protest. Norfolk Police said that protest was largely peaceful, even though the same evening ended with arrests, injuries and hospital treatment for officers.
The disorder followed Tuesday night, when properties were damaged by smashed windows and broken fences and people attempted to break into a residential property. That earlier damage set the scene for Wednesday’s police deployment, which ended with two arrests for offences including public order, harassment and possession of an offensive weapon.
Brian Thompson
Brian Thompson, 68, of Fairfields, Thetford, has been charged with possession of an offensive weapon, namely a wooden bat, and released on bail. One man aged in his 40s remains in custody. Thompson is due to appear at Norwich Magistrates’ Court on August 25.
The case now turns on those court proceedings and on the remaining custody decision for the second arrested man. For residents around Clover Way, the immediate change is that the police response has already moved from crowd control to arrests, hospital treatment and a charge tied to the disorder.
