AS part of of their policing response to a gathering in Epping this evening, they have used additional powers available to which allowed them to place conditions upon assembly.

Officers implemented Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, which requested anyone assembling outside The Bell Hotel to leave the area safely by 9.30pm.

This order was adhered to.

Separately, a second Section 14 order was implemented with regards to a small crowd on the Epping side of High Road. That order stated the group should leave the area by 10pm, which, again, was adhered to.

A spokesperson said: “We’re aware that a group which had come to Epping after attending a protest in Cheshunt remain in the area and we’ve now put in place a dispersal order which will run until 6am tomorrow morning, Saturday 30 August. The order covers the area shown on the map.

This means anyone who is suspected of committing, or being intent on committing, anti-social behaviour can be asked to leave the area by officers. If they do not, they face being arrested.

“Throughout the evening, three people were arrested; one man was arrested on suspicion of violent disorder, a second man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer and a third man was arrested on suspicion of drink driving after a car was driven on the wrong side of the road towards a police cordon”.

All three remain in custody.

Assistant chief constable Glen Pavelin said: “Protest is a democratic right, and we’ll always do all we can to facilitate that, for every group seeking to make their voice heard.

“The overwhelming majority of people in Epping tonight clearly wanted their voices to be heard and they did that safely and without the need for a police response.

“However, the right to protest does not include a right to commit crime and tonight a small number of people were arrested. Two officers sustained injuries which are thankfully not serious.

“Officers will remain in the area in the coming hours to ensure the dispersal order which remains in place is adhered to.”

ACC Pavelin added: “The strength of feeling in Epping throughout the summer is not lost on me. My continued plea to those people who want their voices to be heard is to please do that safely and peacefully.”