A Serco staff member has been accused of leaking several home addresses of asylum seekers targeted during disorder in Thetford.
The Norfolk market town witnessed unrest for three consecutive nights earlier this month as protesters attempted to break into properties thought to be housing the illegal migrants.
Police officers were “subjected to significant aggression” as emergency services were bitten, spat at and battered with a rock.
Following several days of disorder, Norfolk Constabulary confirmed 21 arrests were made linked to the chaos.
Now, James Jobson, who works for Serco, a firm responsible for providing asylum seeker accommodation, has been charged with misconduct in public office, the force confirmed.
The 62-year-old, from Highlow Road, Costessey, Norfolk, made an appearance before Ipswich Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
He has now been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Norwich Crown Court on September 14.
The force said the case was “in connection with the release of information relating to a number of addresses in Thetford, which were later targeted during several nights of violent disorder”.
Norfolk Constabulary confirmed 21 arrests were made linked to the chaos
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The charge reads that between August 3 and 14, Mr Jobson has been accused of acting “wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification”, committing misconduct “amounting to an abuse of the public’s trust in the office”.
Serco has a number of contracts with the Home Office to house the illegal arrivals, as well as a number of other services, including across healthcare, defence and transport.
On the company’s website, it reads that it “provides housing and support for asylum seekers in the community”.
Meanwhile, a Serco spokesman said: “This matter is currently being handled by the police, and we are co-operating fully.
“As this relates to an ongoing legal process, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”
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The 62-year-old has now been remanded in custody
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On August 8, local Reform councillor Scott Hussey said “half of Norfolk Police” had turned out on Wednesday to “guard an HMO housing six young male migrants”.
That came just a few hours after he shared footage of “30 coppers guarding a Home Office HMO housing male migrants next to a primary school” the previous night.
“There were some skirmishes, it was a spirited protest but I didn’t see any violence,” Mr Hussey said.
“If you put these illegal immigrants in the middle of housing estates close to schools, next door to people, into communities who have had absolutely no say in it, then I think it’s a pretty reasonable expectation that the people there are not going to be happy about it,” Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner Colin Sutton said.
“The fact is that we’re getting about 1,000 a week of these people coming in on small boats, and we’re running out of places to put them,” he told the BBC.
Local Labour MP Terry Jermy said that while he did not know the immigration status of the “people in these properties”, he demanded that they be afforded “the same rights that we all expect in this country”.
Police said that at about 9.30pm on Wednesday, officers responded to “reports that people in the group were trying to gain access to a residential property”.
A statement said: “As police intervened, members of the group became physically aggressive towards officers – two were taken to hospital after a male officer was struck with a rock and a female officer was seriously bitten, breaking the skin.
“A third officer was also spat at.”