A third person has been arrested after violent clashes outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Essex, police said on Saturday.

Eight police officers were injured in what started as a peaceful protest outside the Bell hotel in Epping on Thursday evening.

A 33-year-old man from Loughton was arrested on suspicion of violent disorder and criminal damage, Essex police said. He is in custody waiting to be questioned.

Two people were arrested on Friday in relation to the protests.

Riot police wore helmets while crowds of men, some masked, surrounded a small counter-demonstration by anti-racism activists.

Counter-demonstrators and police were pelted with plastic bottles, eggs and flour but the violence worsened as those in the crowd directly attacked officers and vandalised police vans.

Dean Walters, 65, of Corner Meadow in Harlow, has been charged with affray and will appear at court in September after a separate protest on Sunday 13 July.

A second man arrested for a breach of a dispersal order has been released on conditional bail.

Thursday’s demonstration was the latest in a series of protests outside the hotel since an asylum seeker was charged with three counts of sexual assault.

Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, from Ethiopia, who denied the offences when he appeared at Chelmsford magistrates court on Thursday, was remanded in custody before a two-day trial next month.

Ch Supt Simon Anslow said: “The events in Epping on Thursday were shocking and have no place in our neighbourhoods. We understand the concerns of the local community and support everyone’s right to peaceful protest.

“Unfortunately, across social media we are seeing inflammatory comments which suggest we were supporting and enabling certain protesters. This is categorically not true. We police without fear or favour, remaining impartial at all times and have legal responsibilities to ensure peaceful protest is facilitated.

“Officers will act robustly and swiftly towards anyone intent on disrupting the local community’s right to have their voices heard.”

Essex police’s assistant chief constable Stuart Hooper had urged people not to attend any future protests outside the hotel that have been discussed on social media.