The force has said one officer was “seriously bitten” and another hit with rocks as siege-like conditions engulfed an HMO in Thetford and masked men sought to gain entry inside.

The dramatic events - which saw two men arrested - followed a previous night of protests in the town which culminated in a group of asylum seekers being escorted out of a property, and two other sites vandalised.

On Wednesday night, and an increasing number of balaclavas-clad individuals could be seen and it was clear the town faced another night of disorder.

Crowds gathered on Clover Way outside a home thought to house asylum seekers.

Eggs and stones rained down upon windows before riot vans arrived and violence eventually broke out.

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The mob - who have denounced this term and claim that many of them are not violent - have argued these protests are the only way they will achieve their goals of removing asylum seekers from their town.

Amidst the drama, a reporter from this newspaper was assaulted by one of the group, who asked him "who are the mobsters now".

The journalist later left the scene after death threats were made against him.

Many of the protestors have since condemned this act of violence.

A Serco employee was seen at the property on Thursday morning where they reportedly told a local that the men in the house had been removed.

HOW THE CHAOS UNFOLDED

Wednesday evening began with a protest outside Thetford Police Station at around 8pm, which remained largely peaceful aside from individuals knocking on the building's windows.

Officers did not leave the station but peered down through second floor windows as crowds gathered with beers and were heralded with horn blasts from passing cars.

Throughout the day, many had told this newspaper they felt that the events on Tuesday night - particularly the removal of the asylum seekers - was a "victory".

Around 100 first gathered outside the police station (Image: Henry Durand)

"The landlord, he'll know not to do that again," said one man in his 40s.

A woman added: "And it's the same with the IRA in Ireland, they got them out, kicked them out, and the ones that didn't go, they burned the house down.

"I'm not saying that we would do it, I'm not an arsonist.

"At the end of the day, we got them removed."

Another woman at the station said: "Last night every single person from that property was told that nobody was here to hurt them.

The protest at the station was largely peaceful (Image: Henry Durand)

"They were told we're being peaceful, we're not here to cause violence, you just need to pack your stuff and leave."

When another woman was asked whether she supported the violence against the properties on Tuesday night, she said: "Oh I full on f*cking support it. I support them having their f*cking heads chopped off, just like they do to us."

Again, many of........

© Eastern Daily Press