Two men charged with public order offences after protest outside The Park Hotel in Diss

Two men have been charged with public order offences following a protest outside a hotel housing asylum-seeking families.

Police arrested two men on Saturday after reviewing footage from both sides of the protest outside The Park Hotel in Diss on July 21.

James Harvey, 22, of Linden Drive, Hethersett, has been charged with a racially aggravated public order offence.

Luke Sharman, 23, of Harcourt Close, Norwich, has been charged with a racially aggravated public order offence and possession of cannabis.

They have both been bailed to appear at Norwich Magistrates’ Court on September 16.

The Home Office is currently at a stalemate with the owners of The Park Hotel amid a backlash over its plans to house single male asylum seekers there.

The hotel, in Denmarket Street, issued a statement in which it said it would close rather than allow the government to place the men there.

The hotel has been used for asylum seeker families, including women and children, for two years.

But under the plans these were to be moved out and replaced with the men.