Furious Epping residents have declared they will refuse to pay their council tax following Friday's Court of Appeal decision that reversed an injunction blocking asylum seekers from staying at a hotel in the town.
The ruling means 138 migrants can remain at the controversial Essex hotel, overturning a High Court order that would have required their removal by September 12.
Local residents expressed outrage at the decision, with some stating they would withhold council tax payments even if it resulted in imprisonment.
The hotel has been at the centre of intense controversy after an Ethiopian asylum seeker residing there was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl last month, allegations he denies.
The Court of Appeal's reversal has sparked fierce local opposition and reignited debates about asylum accommodation across Britain.
Sarah White, a mother of three, told the Mail she feels "very vulnerable" following the court ruling.
"What is the point of paying our council tax if it is being directly used to fund a place which houses alleged sex attackers?" she said, adding that the situation "goes against everything which council tax is for."
Another local resident, who wished to remain anonymous, stated: "The feeling is so strong that the threat of prison does not worry me. I will go to jail for this."
Epping has been hit by a wave of protests over the migrant hotel, with some residents saying they will no longer pay council tax
| PASarah Corner, a 20-year Epping resident, echoed these sentiments: "We need to take a stand. Enough is enough. Our taxes are funding the hotel, the police and all the costs associated with it. That's not what it should be for."
The protests at the Hotel began after Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, an Ethiopian migrant resident, was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and another woman.
Kebatu is standing trial at Colchester Magistrates Court and denies the charges.
Epping Forest District Council has announced it will consider appealing to the Supreme Court if it loses at another High Court hearing scheduled for October.
Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu has denied the charges
| CROWN PROSECUTION SERVICE/PAThe council stated: "We will continue to fight on every front, using the democratic, diplomatic, legal, and political means available, until the Hotel is closed."
However, local Tory councillor Holly Whitbread, who represents the ward containing the Hotel, urged residents against withholding council tax, arguing that the local authority is fighting alongside them and that frustration should be directed at the government instead.
Meanwhile, asylum seekers at the hotel have welcomed the Court of Appeal ruling, with Khadar Mohamed, 24, from Somalia, telling reporters: "I want to say thank you Keir Starmer and his Government. I am delighted with the news, wow. That is really amazing."
The controversy has triggered nationwide demonstrations, with protests occurring in Newcastle, Falkirk, Aberdeen, Gloucester and London over the weekend, resulting in five arrests in west London.
Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice revealed exclusively to GB News that a Reform-controlled council would submit legal injunctions "by tomorrow evening", though he declined to specify which authority.
At least 19 councils have pledged to pursue legal action to remove asylum seekers from hotels following Friday's ruling, as the immigration debate intensifies across Britain.
Highlighting the increasing feeling of "lawlessness" in Britain, Mr Tice told The People's Channel: "They will be remote away from residents, and that's the key thing, that's how you keep people safe, and this is really important.
"We're all worried about safety, whether it's outside hotels or not.
WATCH: Richard Tice reveals a Reform-led council is set to take legal action against the Home Office over migrant hotels
Mr Tice, the MP for Boston and Skegness, was pressed on whether he is linking "lawless Britain" to "illegal migration".
He replied: "I'm not actually, I'm just linking it directly to the breakdown in law and order in this country. Britain is lawless.
"We've been running a campaign through the summer highlighting this, and regrettably, there have been serious incidents allegedly carried out by people who are illegally claiming asylum, some of them living in these hotels.
"Of course, not everybody, no one's saying that, but you have to keep our residents, our women and girls safe, and they're not at the moment in some areas."