A man, 25, has been arrested on suspicion of inviting support for a proscribed organisation
Cresta Court Hotel(Image: Getty Images)
A man has been arrested on suspicion of inviting support for a proscribed terror organisation following a demonstration outside a hotel in Altrincham where asylum seekers are being housed.
Rival protesters clashed outside the Cresta Court hotel on Sunday evening (July 27) prompting a significant police operation. Following the demo, a 25-year-old man was arrested outside another hotel housing asylum seekers in Hoylake, Wirral, on Thursday.
He was arrested on suspicion of inviting support for a proscribed organisation, believed to be National Action. The neo-Nazi group was banned, or ‘proscribed’, in December 2016. The alleged offence is said to have occurred outside the Cresta Court on Sunday, not the hotel in Hoylake.
At the demo in Altrincham on Sunday, groups waving Union Jack flags which read ‘Uniting Britain’ and ‘The Great Britain National Protest’ gathered opposite the Cresta Court hotel on Church Street.
The hotel closed last year, with all future bookings moved to alternative hotels in and around Trafford. It came after the owners of the venue reportedly agreed a deal with Serco.
Counter-protesters also gathered directly outside the venue brandishing banners and signs. Plaques which read ‘stop the far right’ and ‘stand up to racism’ were waved as groups shouted across to one another. Chants of ‘say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here’ were also shouted into a microphone.
Police officers including riot-trained Tactical Aid Unit cops were also at the scene. Officers were seen speaking to members of both groups as insults were exchanged. The protest was also livestreamed on YouTube to thousands of viewers.
A statement from Greater Manchester Police said: “On 31 July 2025, a 25-year-old man from the Sefton area was arrested in Hoylake, Merseyside, on suspicion of inviting support for a proscribed organisation.
“This is in relation to an incident that took place in Altrincham on 27 July 2025. The man remains in custody for questioning and enquiries are being conducted by detectives from Counter Terrorism Policing North West.”