Epping clashes are a 'signal flair' to a summer of unrest says police rep in stark warning

Police chiefs have warned that Britain could face a summer of violent unrest as officers are pulled from local beats to tackle rising protests over migration.

Tiff Lynch, chair of the Police Federation which represents rank-and-file officers, said that already stretched forces were being “pulled in every direction” as they attempt to respond to growing anti-migrant demonstrations across the country. Writing in The Telegraph, she described recent protests in Epping, Essex, as a “signal flare” of what could come.

Police commanders, she said, were being forced to make tough decisions, having to “choose between keeping the peace at home or plugging national gaps” amid increasing pressure on manpower.

The warnings come after protests outside asylum hotels turned violent in recent days, with more demonstrations expected in the coming weeks. Officers will now be diverted from neighbourhood duties to support the policing of mass protests – a move the Federation fears could leave communities exposed.

Although Ms Lynch said officers would cope, she admitted that expecting them to “hold the line indefinitely” would be “dangerous to assume”.

“Local commanders are once again being forced to choose between keeping the peace at home or plugging national gaps,” she said. “It would be comical if it weren’t so serious – and so familiar.”

The warning follows criticism of Essex Police, who escorted anti-racism protesters to the Bell Hotel in Epping, where violence erupted. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, accused the force of having “directly facilitated the unrest we saw” and said: “Heads must roll.”

Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington has refused to resign over the incident. He defended the actions of his officers, insisting they were only protecting “lawful and law-abiding people” and that it was the “irresponsible and criminal behaviour” of a minority that led to the violence.

Residents who had gathered peacefully to protest claimed the violence was inevitable after police brought counter-protesters into close proximity with the crowd.

Official Home Office data shows the number of officers involved in local policing has fallen sharply, from a peak of 67,785 in 2023 to just 58,002 in 2025 – a record low.

Ms Lynch warned that cuts and a failure to modernise public order policing were putting officers at risk. Referring to last year’s Southport riots, she said: “The gaps were plain to see: mutual aid stripped to the bone, co-ordination between forces lacking, and a total failure to anticipate how disorder is now sparked and fuelled online. Officers were left to face missiles with little more than a shield and a short briefing. The risks were there in black and white – yet little has improved since.”

Labour has pledged to put 3,000 more bobbies on the beat by spring next year. The party has also promised dedicated neighbourhood teams in every community.

From this month, all forces are expected to guarantee regular patrols in town centres and other “hotspot” areas during peak times, such as Friday and Saturday nights and market days in rural locations.