Three nights of violence in Thetford left two police officers hospitalised and asylum seekers fleeing their homes after crowds of up to 200 people—many of them hooded youths—threw stones and eggs at properties they believed housed migrants. The largest incident occurred on Clover Way on Wednesday night, one of five locations across the Norfolk town where police made arrests on suspicion of public order offences, harassment and possession of an offensive weapon.
One neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said she went to bed at about half past nine when she heard someone shout, "We don't want them here." She said eggs were thrown at the house and police vans were stoned. By 01:00 BST, police had separated the protesters into two groups and slowly pushed them to each end of the road. "I don't feel safe in this town any more," she said. The front window of a house was almost completely covered in broken eggs and an upstairs window was smashed, with rocks strewn across the road. Locals said the property had been recently converted, with some claiming it had become a 10-bedroom house in multiple occupation, though the BBC said it had been unable to confirm this and there was no answer at the door on Thursday.
Targeting Asylum Seekers
All the locations were at properties people believed were housing asylum seekers. At Elm Road, about a mile from Clover Way, a smaller group of individuals entered a property and forced out the resident, stealing their mobile phone, according to police. A couple who live nearby said they had been told it had been converted into asylum-seeker accommodation. "We heard a load of commotion at about one-ish in the morning [on Wednesday], then the police came and moved them on," they said. "Then last night [Wednesday], stones got thrown at the house."
At the nearby St John's Way estate, a resident of one property reported a group of between 30 and 50 people trying to get into the house. According to Norfolk Police, there were reports that a group of people, who did not live at the address, were "attempting to get inside and smashed a window, and damaged a fence panel and letterbox." The property is now empty, with locals reporting that the occupants were escorted out by the police. The BBC said it was unable to confirm who these individuals were or where they came from.
Neighbour Chelsea Goodwin said her objection to the arrivals was that "you don't know who they are." She said: "I don't feel safe having undocumented illegal immigrants here." She added: "If it was a family with kids and they were trying to get away from some war-torn country, then that's fine. But it's a just group of middle-aged men." She said women and children were not safe because of "cultural differences," though she did not specify which culture she had concerns about. Another estate resident, Shannon McCubbin, said: "I saw a group of residents and a community that has come together. We made a stand and we made our voices heard for once."
Housing and Consultation Concerns
Tensions had risen recently over proposals to use RAF Barnham, a former air base just over the border in Suffolk, as asylum seeker accommodation. The plans came up repeatedly when the BBC spoke to townspeople. Residents said what really rankled was that there had been no consultation about placing migrants at the base or in the town. One local resident said: "We've been ignored." The government said the base plans were at an early stage and there would be engagement with the local community should they proceed.
Several residents said they believed asylum seekers were getting housing at the expense of locals. Debbie Ives, who lived close to St John's Way, said: "These men are coming in illegally and they're being housed and given everything they need, yet we've got single women with children sofa-surfing." As of March 2026—5 months ago—there were 40 asylum seekers living in Breckland, the district containing Thetford, according to government figures. The BBC said this was less than half the average for a UK council with asylum seekers in non-hotel accommodation, if calculated as a share of its population. There are currently 740 people on Breckland Council's social housing waiting list.
According to the authority, a Home Office contractor, Serco, is taking on leases in the area on the open market to accommodate asylum seekers. A spokesman said this was entirely separate to housing and providers used by Breckland Council to meet local housing need, and that accommodation for asylum seekers does not impact the availability of homes for those on the council's housing register or in need of emergency or temporary housing.
The Serco Contract
In 2019—7 years ago—the Home Office replaced a previous scheme with seven Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts. According to the National Audit Office, Serco covers the Midlands and East of England and is worth an estimated £3.5bn over 10 years. By December 2024—1 year ago—about 20,000 people were being accommodated by it. Serco said it could not comment on the number of asylum seekers or their locations in Thetford "for safety reasons." A spokesman added: "We've been working closely with the Home Office and police to ensure that appropriate safeguarding measures are in place. Such measures are under constant review, and we will continue to monitor the situation." The company said it consulted with councils which were given the opportunity to assess whether an address was suitable.
Official Response
Norfolk Police Assistant Chief Constable Julie Dean, who is overseeing the force's response to the disorder, said: "We will always facilitate and support the right to peaceful protest, and we recognise that people may hold strong views and feelings about issues. However, no matter how strongly those views are held, there is no place for violence, intimidation or criminal behaviour." Terry Jermy, the South West Norfolk Labour MP who represents Thetford, also condemned the violence. "Following these incidents, many local residents from diverse backgrounds have been in touch with my office sharing fears for their safety," he said. "I am proud to be British and my British values compel me to respect the rule of law and due process."
A government spokesperson said: "The concerns of communities are central to our immigration reforms. That is why we are working with local authorities and others to exit asylum hotels and house asylum seekers in basic accommodation, including ex-military sites. Five military sites are either in use or being explored. We have already seen results. The population of asylum seekers in hotels has fallen by 35% in the last year and by 63% from the peak of 56,000 in 2023—3 years ago. Overall asylum costs have already fallen by nearly £1bn since the general election."
Why This Matters:
The violence in Thetford exposes the failure of successive governments to build public consent for asylum policy through transparency and local consultation. When communities feel ignored—when housing conversions happen without notice and military sites are proposed without engagement—fear fills the vacuum. The facts contradict the perception: Breckland hosts 40 asylum seekers, less than half the national average per capita, and their accommodation doesn't compete with the council's social housing waiting list. But the perception persists because the government has relied on private contractors like Serco to disperse asylum seekers quietly, without investing in integration support or communicating honestly about numbers and needs. The result is violence directed at some of the most vulnerable people in Britain—people who've fled war and persecution—and a community that feels both abandoned and misled. Asylum policy cannot succeed without local buy-in, and local buy-in cannot happen without investment, communication, and a commitment to both asylum rights and community cohesion.