IT has a reputation for being one of the “best places to live” in the UK.
But the past week has seen pretty and green Epsom become a battleground for protesting mobs after reports of a rape outside a church.
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An army of riot cops were called in to keep the first protest under control Credit: Bruno Brown
Large crowds flocked through the town Credit: w8media
Eggs were pelted at cops in the second protest Credit: w8media
Riot cops were deployed for both protests Credit: w8media
Two nights of chaos left locals watching their normally peaceful high street descend into wild scenes of disorder.
Riot cops flooded the streets, roads were blocked by chanting protesters and officers in full protective gear were pelted with eggs and beer cans as tensions boiled over.
It came after a woman aged in her 20s reported to police she had been raped after leaving a nightclub in the town.
Police said there was not enough evidence to reveal the ethnicity of suspects – leading to protests as riot cops flooded the streets.
STREET FURY
Eggs & beer cans thrown & four arrested during Epsom protest over ‘church rape’
RAPE CASE
Epsom cops say no evidence of rape as reported & NO migrants involved after march
Roads were blocked by chanting protesters and officers in full protective gear were pelted with eggs and beer cans as tensions boiled over.
But it has since emerged there was never a rape and that the woman suffered an accidental head injury – leading her to make a confused report.
Surrey Police said: “We are now confident that there was no offence, and there were no suspects.”
When The Jattvibe visited Epsom and spoke to locals – the message was clear, they wanted the unrest to end.
And they wanted the police to be allowed to do their jobs.
Residents blamed people coming from outside the town – which has an average house price of £550,000 – for whipping up chaos.
While some protesters were peaceful, many scenes turned ugly across the nights of April 15 and April 20.
Far-right activist Tommy Robinson even shared a video on X showing a group of thugs appearing to vandalise a property they allege was housing migrants.
Crowds gathered outside homes and nearby hotels after false claims spread online that asylum seekers were being housed there.
Cops later branded the rumours “wholly inaccurate” as officers scrambled to contain the unrest.
Four people were arrested during Monday night’s disorder after cops said the protest had “escalated to public disorder, including missiles being thrown”.
Residents say the angry demonstrations transformed the usually quiet, middle-class Surrey town into an “intimidating” setting packed with drunken chanting, aggressive crowds and swarms of police vans.
Online campaigners appeared to organise much of the initial marches – claiming they were calling for transparency and to raise awareness for women’s safety in a bid to reassure the community.
A youth appearing to throw a traffic cone at the assembled cops Credit: Getty
Riot cops were deployed to calm tensions Credit: Getty
Objects and insults were lobbed at cops as they tried to maintain order on the busy high street Credit: Getty
A man being detained by police Credit: w8media
But locals say the crowds wreaked havoc in the town – and they now fear more chaos.
Malcolm Crewe, 76, has lived in Epsom for the past decade.
He says the elderly and disabled people of the town are particularly concerned by the protests.
“The protests are a focus for a lot of people who are fed up with the country. I don’t think it is to do with the rape,” he said.
“Ultimately it is a problem that they are coming here and causing disruption.
“The elderly and disabled are scared that this might continue because getting through town with them filling the streets was a nightmare and they are very intimidating.
“It was hardly a peaceful display with people singing in harmony, instead drunken chants with idiots causing petty crime.”
Malcolm Crewe felt the mobs made locals uncomfortable Credit: Steve Bell
Margaret Shearman thought the protests were ‘ugly’ Credit: Steve Bell
Margaret Shearman, 66, has lived in Epsom for 14 years.
She said: “The protests were quite ugly as some people seemed to be abusing the police.
“It’s a quiet town here in Epsom, really charming and lovely, just people shopping and everything else. There is never any violence here, well maybe on a Friday night.
“So obviously these protesters coming here and causing the police to come out in such big numbers is not usual for the town.
“I don’t like how the crowds behaved, throwing things at the police, it is really not helpful for anyone, we all wish they wouldn’t come here.”
Local butcher Dan Gregory, 46, has lived in Epsom for the past year.
He told The Jattvibe: “The police should be left to get on with it, of course we were all shocked to hear of the incident, it was crazy.
“But I think the protests have got a bit out of hand.
“There are a few people who have taken it as an excuse for what it was not intended for.
26-year-old barista and music producer, Star B, has lived in Epsom for the past 14 years.
Dan Gregory hopes the protests in Epsom have stopped Credit: Steve Bell
Star B disapproved of the protests Credit: Steve Bell
He fumed: “I just think it’s bulls**t to have protesters come outside the area for something that happened in the area.”
He said: “Mostly it’s a nice quiet town and these thugs coming here releasing their crappy thoughts aren’t welcome.
“They should go and join the army or something, it would be a bit more productive for them.
“With all these thugs here I felt unsafe as well, which is ridiculous. I am a young man for Christ’s sake, imagine how the more vulnerable groups in the town felt.”
Lib Dem MP for Epsom and Ewell, Helen Maguire, condemned the “appalling” scenes brought to her constituency.
She told The Jattvibe: “Some of the violence and intimidation that we saw on the streets in Epsom was not legitimate protesting, it was criminal behaviour as a result of dangerous disinformation being spread online.
“It has been utterly appalling to see police officers being attacked, residents being harassed and local businesses being intimidated.”
The furious MP added: “There are no asylum hotels in Epsom and the claims drawing crowds were entirely false.
“I’d urge everyone to disregard these lies, and let the police conduct their investigation, and most importantly deliver justice for the victim.”
The Jattvibe has approached Epsom Methodist Church for comment.
Epsom Methodist Church where the alleged sexual assault took place Credit: Steve Bell
Riot cops on the High Street in Epsom Credit: Getty
Cops have said there is no evidence the rape took place Credit: Getty
