Hotel must close so locals can get their town and lives back

WE HAVE seen deeply troubling events in Epping in recent days and weeks. Epping is a wonderful small town with a warm, caring and compassionate community that I feel blessed to be a part of. It has changed a little bit over the years.

- Dr Neil Hudson

As a young veterinary student, I did my dairy farm work experience at a busy cattle farm on the edge of my home town of Epping, just a few hundred yards from The Bell Hotel, which used to be a hotel where families could come and stay and enjoy our wonderful town.

But people are now scared, unsettled and feel like their lives have been turned upside down. We are all deeply disturbed by the alleged sexual assaults in Epping two weeks ago and my thoughts remain with the victims, their families and their peers. Then the scenes we saw last Thursday and Sunday nights were deeply troubling and unsettling, and the violence completely unacceptable.

Police put themselves in harm's way to keep us safe. People have the right to peaceful protest, but these violent scenes are not us, they are not Epping, and they are not what we stand for. It is deeply disquieting that people from outside the community are coming to these protests not to support the real concerns of our local community, but to disrupt and cause violence.

I want to thank Essex Police for all that they are doing in these distressing times for our town, as well as the neighbouring forces who have supported local officers with these major protests.