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Open Letter to Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne:

We write jointly as local charitable organisations, businesses and residents of Hastings following the horrific scenes in Merseyside when protestors gathered outside the Suite Hotel in Knowsley, currently being used by the Home Office to house people seeking refuge.

Refugees walking on the platform upon their arrival by train at a railway station. PHOTO Getty Images

This awful incident comes off the back of months of divisive and inflammatory language by politicians and the media which has claimed that the people in these hotels are in some way living in luxury. This language has trickled down to extremists who have now coalesced around a mission to actively call people to protest at these hotels across the country.

There are currently several hotels across Sussex being used by the Home Office to house people seeking refuge. Cllr Claire Carr - the Hastings Borough Council councillor whose ward currently contains one of these hotels - spoke directly to the staff who have been tasked with managing this hotel. Concerningly, they had no idea that such an incident had taken place, nor had they received any information from their employers about how to manage a situation similar to what took place in Merseyside. Cllr Carr gave them some basic security advice and went on to contact to the local police to try to establish what plans were in place should this terrible situation arise.

The voluntary sector in Hastings has rallied the community response to welcome our new neighbours housed in this hotel, and the response has been incredible.

The local community - including businesses - continue to give their support three months on since the hotel opened. However we are aware that people are often bussed in to fuel these demonstrations and supporters are justifiably terrified of a repeat of the Merseyside scenes in our town.

We write to ask you, as Police and Crime Commissioner, to reassure local people by sharing with us what is being done to ensure that any such incident is managed effectively, including adequate briefing of hotel staff and a clear evacuation procedure.

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An open letter to Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne following the horrific scenes in Merseyside when protestors gathered outside the Suite Hotel in Knowsley housing refugees.