Kegworth: Man charged over hotel protest assault

Image source, ITV News Central

Image caption, Dozens of people attended the protest

A man has been charged with assaulting a police officer during a protest over a hotel in a Leicestershire village being used to house asylum seekers.

Police said the officer was injured as a large crowd gathered outside the hotel in Kegworth on Monday evening.

A 26-year-old man, from Kegworth, has been charged with assaulting a police officer.

He is due to appear at Leicester Magistrates' Court on 17 March.

The officer was not seriously injured, the force said.

A second man, aged 54, was charged with wilfully obstructing a highway with a non-motor vehicle.

He is due to appear at Leicester Magistrates' Court on 15 March.

The Kegworth hotel is one of about 30 being used to house asylum seekers in the East Midlands while the government deals with a backlog of cases.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "The number of people arriving in the UK who require accommodation has reached record levels and has put our asylum system under incredible strain.

"We engage with local authorities as early as possible whenever sites are used for asylum accommodation and work to ensure arrangements are safe for hotel residents and local people."

Follow 大象传媒 East Midlands on , on , or on . Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.