Senior judges prepare to rule on whether to overturn asylum seeker hotel injunction

Senior judges have been warned an injunction which would ban asylum seekers from being housed at an Essex hotel could spark further protests if they decide not to overturn it on Friday.

The Home Office and Somani Hotels, which owns The Bell Hotel in Epping, are seeking to challenge a High Court ruling that will stop 138 asylum seekers from being housed there beyond 12 September. In a ruling last week, Mr Justice Eyre granted Epping Forest District Council (EFDC) an interim injunction after the authority claimed that Somani Hotels had breached planning rules by using the hotel as accommodation for asylum seekers.

The hotel has become the focal point of several protests and counter-protests in recent weeks after an asylum seeker housed there was charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl. At the end of Thursday's hearing about whether to overturn the temporary injunction, Lord Justice Bean, sitting with Lady Justice Nicola Davies and Lord Justice Cobb at the Court of Appeal, said that they would hand down their judgment on Friday afternoon.

He said: "Because of the great urgency of this matter, we will aim to give judgment at 2pm tomorrow." He continued: "If it proves impractical for us to meet the deadline, we will let people know in advance." The Home Office is also seeking to challenge Mr Justice Eyre's decision not to let it intervene in the case, while the council opposes the appeal bids. Since the High Court judge's ruling last week, other councils, including Labour-run authorities, have publicly announced their intention to seek legal advice over whether they could achieve similar injunctions for hotels in their areas.

In written submissions for the hearing on Thursday, Edward Brown KC, for the Home Office, said ending the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers "requires a structured response.