In 2025, Sherzod relocated to Epping, envisioning a tranquil lifestyle featuring a modest garden, extensive walks with his dog in the nearby forest, and greater room to enjoy life. Having moved from Uzbekistan to the UK at the age of 20 to pursue a law degree, he spent several decades in north London before establishing a career in the media. In his mid-40s, he began exploring Epping Forest, a lush 5,900-acre area preserved by the Epping Forest Act of 1878. He was charmed by the quaint shops in the town’s historic high street. “I just liked the high street, I liked the people,” he remarked, noting the friendliness of the local residents.
Epping originated as a market town in the 13th century, founded by the canons of Waltham Abbey along the route connecting London and Cambridge. Its bustling high street remains vibrant today, featuring establishments such as Gail’s bakery and M&S Food, with four-bedroom semi-detached homes listed for just under £1 million.
Sherzod focused on a property with views of the picturesque hills in west Essex and monitored real estate listings closely for years. His patience paid off in early 2025 when a home became available in his desired location. However, on moving day in August, as he was walking to town for lunch, a driver shouted at him to “go home,” leaving him momentarily stunned. He initially thought he was the target of the outburst, but there were no others nearby who seemed to provoke such hostility. A few days later, an incident occurred where a motorcyclist rode close to him, honking in a manner reminiscent of a football chant: “Do-do, do-do-do, do-do-do-do, Eng-land!” This was particularly disconcerting as there were no sporting events taking place at the time. By winter, he had purchased a long raincoat to shield himself from vehicles that sped past, splashing him with puddles.
These unsettling experiences instilled fear in Sherzod, though he was not entirely taken aback. Shortly after he had committed to purchasing his home, protests erupted regarding a nearby hotel designated for asylum seekers.
The Bell hotel, which originally functioned as a roadside inn in the 16th century for traders and farmers, had more recently served as a budget hotel before being repurposed in 2020 by the Conservative government to accommodate asylum seekers. In the wake of the Covid pandemic, traditional entry routes to the UK were halted, leading to a rise in asylum seekers arriving by small boats.
Initially, the most vocal opposition to the hotel’s new role came from two far-right local politicians: Eddy Butler, a former elections chief for the British National Party (BNP), and Julian Leppert, a For Britain councillor in Waltham Abbey, who had expressed a desire to keep Epping predominantly white.
However, many residents, including a neighbor identified as Steve, reported that they were not overly concerned about the asylum seekers. “I’ve got two daughters,” he shared. “They’ve never had any problem walking past the hotel or into the high street.” He noted that during the summer, the residents of the Bell would dine and then go to a nearby cricket ground without causing any issues. “I’d go over in the morning and walk my dog,” Steve added. “There was no rubbish or anything. You wouldn’t even know they’d been there.”
Nevertheless, the relatively peaceful coexistence between Epping and the asylum seekers shifted dramatically in July 2025.
Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu arrived in the UK on June 29, having traveled nearly 6,000 miles from Ethiopia, passing through Sudan, Libya, Italy, and France before crossing the Channel in a small boat. He was assigned to the Bell hotel on July 7, where he approached a group of 14-year-old schoolchildren sitting on a bench near a Domino’s pizza outlet, asking for some of their food.
Despite being informed of their age, Kebatu reportedly made inappropriate comments to the girls, expressing that they were attractive and suggesting he wanted to have children with them. He invited them to the hotel and followed them around town, at one point attempting to offer them alcohol and trying to kiss them.
Witnesses recounted alarming behavior from Kebatu, including comments suggesting a desire to take one girl back to Africa to be a good wife. After one of the victims rejected his advances, she called the police, but he fled the scene.
The following day, the same group of children spotted Kebatu again, this time on a bench in the high street, where he attempted to persuade the girls to kiss him and made inappropriate physical advances. He was apprehended later that day. On September 4, he was convicted at Chelmsford magistrates court of multiple charges, including sexual assault and harassment.
The day after Kebatu’s arrest, Chris Whitbread, the Conservative leader of Epping Forest district council, disclosed that the suspect was associated with the hotel. This revelation sparked significant media attention and public outcry, as it seemed to validate the concerns raised by far-right opponents of the hotel.
Whitbread urged residents to “stay calm,” but his remarks received backlash for potentially escalating tensions. He stated that the council had consistently opposed the Bell hotel’s use for asylum seekers, deeming it unsuitable due to a lack of proper infrastructure and support services, thus endangering both local residents and asylum seekers. He concluded his statement by advising the community to avoid relying on social media for information, but by then, the damage had already been done.
In August 2024, a seemingly benign local Facebook group named the Epping Forest Residents Group was established, which gained traction as events unfolded following Whitbread’s announcement.
