It is a charming historic market town set in the rolling English countryside, surrounded by chocolate box villages and once famed as a centre for the wool and silk trade.
But the peace and quiet of Braintree has been shattered in recent months as the Essex town has found itself on the frontline of unrest over asylum seekers – with concern of a mounting risk of public disorder.
Braintree is less than seven miles from the former RAF Wethersfield site which began to house migrants when 46 single adult men first arrived more than three years ago in July 2023.
The number of
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