Residents at a hotel housing asylum seekers were spotted brawling, throwing rocks and trying to climb the walls of the building as terrified neighbours cowered in their homes.
Footage filmed outside the Highfield House Hotel in Southampton, Hampshire, shows a bearded man in a red top shouting up at someone apparently inside the building.
The pair, speaking in a foreign language, exchange angry words before the man outside begins to climb towards a first-floor window. He points and shouts at the person inside as several others gather to watch.
Moments later, he drops back to the ground and hurls a rock at the window, sending onlookers ducking for cover.
In another clip, the same man is seen at the entrance, kicking the door and trying to force his way in before being dragged back by another man attempting to calm him down.
According to the Southampton Times, locals heard the commotion around 2am on Tuesday morning.
One resident said: ‘It was aggressive shouting, fighting, and then the unmistakable noise of glass smashing.
Adding: ‘It left me feeling scared, intimidated and angry. This isn’t the first time I’ve been woken up at 1am by aggressive noises and actions. It’s affecting my sleep and my peace of mind.’
In another clip, the same man is seen at the front entrance, kicking the door and trying to force his way in
Footage filmed outside the Highfield House Hotel in Southampton, Hampshire, shows a bearded man in a red top shouting up at someone before the man outside begins to climb towards a first-floor window
One local said he filmed the altercation in the hope that the local council and police would take notice.
Another told the website that ongoing tensions between Kurdish and Iranian residents inside the hotel may have sparked the unrest.
An unnamed person told the publication that tensions between Kurdish and Iranian residents at the hotel could be behind the unrest.
The Daily Mail has approached the Highfield House Hotel and Hampshire Constabulary for more information.
Companies House filings show the firm operating the hotel recorded pre-tax profits of £1.98million for the year ending 31 December 2024 – averaging more than £38,000 a week.
It marks a sharp rise from the previous year, with profits of £1.45million.
The hotel has been at the centre of anti-immigration protests held last month. Demonstrators held Union Jack and St George’s flags outside the site, whilst counter protesters held signs saying ‘Refugees Welcome’.
Hampshire Constabulary said it was investigating an ‘extremely dangerous’ arson attack after a flare was pushed through a ground-floor window of the hotel during demonstrations on September 1.
Officers said they were trying to trace two people wearing hooded tops, one in white, the other in dark clothing, who were seen approaching and then fleeing the scene on Shaftesbury Avenue.
The hotel in Southampton has been at the centre of controversy in recent months, including anti-immigration protests held last month
Tensions ran high nationwide after a wave of protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers over the summer.
The unrest was sparked by demonstrations outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, following the case of an Ethiopian asylum seeker who sexually assaulted a woman and a 14-year-old girl in the town.
Hadush Kebatu, 38, who arrived in the UK on a small boat just days before the attacks in July, was jailed for 12 months at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court last month.
His crimes triggered widespread anger, with violent scenes erupting outside the hotel where migrants were being housed.
Three men involved in the disorder were jailed this month, including one who climbed onto a roof and rang a bell to incite the chaos.
Martin Peagram, Dean Smith and Stuart Williams were all sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court after admitting violent disorder.
