Essex Police has issued a public safety order ahead of a planned demonstration outside an asylum seeker hotel in Epping this evening.

The force says all protest activity must finish by 8:30pm and any public assembly outside the Bell Hotel must take place in a designated area directly opposite the building.

Officers will also have powers to require that demonstrators remove any face coverings and leave the area if they are engaging in or suspected of engaging in anti-social behaviour.

Anyone who does not comply with the orders is likely to be arrested, the force has warned. They will apply across the town, including Epping underground station.

“We have seen the vast majority of people attending these protests doing so peacefully, in areas we have cordoned for their safety and to allow the people of Epping to carry on their daily lives," Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper said.

“As I have said before, anyone disrupting the public or peaceful protest will be robustly dealt with.”