A worried mum fears she is being targeted after she defended refugees - and has even installed an anti-arson letterbox.
Emma, who asked for her surname to be withheld, believes the back windows on her vehicle were smashed after she appeared in an immigration protest.
Plans to use the Chichester Park Hotel in Chichester, Sussex for asylum seekers were revealed earlier this year.
Locals on one side protested outside the venue, saying all British homeless people and veterans should be housed before refugees are allowed into the country.
Others - including Emma - from Chichester Welcomes Refugees say they want to provide a safe space for the asylum seekers.
John, another pro-campaigner, says his 89-year-old dad's car was also targeted - and believes he was the intended target.
He says the incident has left his dad, an ex-serviceman, questioning whether he’ll continue to drive following the vandalism.
And Emma says she's so worried she's had an anti-arson letterbox installed.
She said: “I'm still closely working with refugees to ensure we can still get donations to them.
“It's been really stressful, we’re really lucky because we have a united cause, everyone leans on one another - everyone has helped me get my children to school this week.
“They say refugees will cause crime but the only ones causing crime has been this anti-refugee group, it's horrific and really frightening.”
John, who is also withholding his surname, said: “I just felt sick, it felt like it was targeting us because we are supportive of refugees.
“I assume they tried finding me and couldn’t, so went after my 89-year-old ex-serviceman dad instead.
“It's fair to say he feels vulnerable - I'm worried – are they going to come after my house or my dad's house?
"[A member of the anti-refugee group] came up to me and started talking about how he likes setting things on fire."
The car attacks appear to have been carried out on Saturday night (25/11) and Sunday night (26/11).
Emma says she saw the attack on her car being carried out from inside her home at 8.25pm on Saturday.
Three windows were smashed and the A-frame around the windscreen was damaged – with her car being declared a write off.
And she says she had a boot full of donations ready to drop off at the hotel and her children’s car seats in the back – all of which were covered in glass.
She also claims her home has also been targeted by trolls ordering expensive takeaways to her property.
John says he was contacted by his dad on Monday morning telling him his car’s rear windscreen had been smashed.
He says the quote for repair his father received was so high he is now considering giving up driving.
And both father and son are concerned they may be targeted again.
Emma said: “It’s upsetting because we’re trying to help people, but our personal space is being violated.
“There are people staying in the hotel who are doctors and who will be waiting for 18 months with nothing to do until they can transfer their papers over.
“These are people who have left everything behind and want to work and be safe.
“I luckily work from home but still rely on vehicle to drive my children around
“This all has knock on effect. I've got a write off of a car now and my insurance premium has gone up.”
John said: “[My dad lives on] a quiet street, the average age on the street is quite high so the prevalence of cameras is very low.
“The first quote for repairing the car has him thinking he might give up driving.
“He doesn’t want to get it fixed – he thinks if he gets it fixed it will happen again.
“Now I’m worried that my house might be targeted, or my dad will be targeted more.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The number of people arriving in small boats is down compared with last year but we must go further to stop the boats in the first place.
“That is why we are determined, through the Illegal Migration Act, to ensure that anyone arriving in the UK illegally is detained and swiftly removed to their country of origin or a safe third country.
“We are also working hard to reduce the unacceptable use of hotels by moving asylum seekers into alternative accommodation, doubling them up in hotel rooms, and clearing the legacy backlog.”
Sussex Police were approached for comment.
Emma, who asked for her surname to be withheld, believes the back windows on her vehicle were smashed after she appeared in an immigration protest.
Plans to use the Chichester Park Hotel in Chichester, Sussex for asylum seekers were revealed earlier this year.
Locals on one side protested outside the venue, saying all British homeless people and veterans should be housed before refugees are allowed into the country.
Others - including Emma - from Chichester Welcomes Refugees say they want to provide a safe space for the asylum seekers.
John, another pro-campaigner, says his 89-year-old dad's car was also targeted - and believes he was the intended target.
He says the incident has left his dad, an ex-serviceman, questioning whether he’ll continue to drive following the vandalism.
And Emma says she's so worried she's had an anti-arson letterbox installed.
She said: “I'm still closely working with refugees to ensure we can still get donations to them.
“It's been really stressful, we’re really lucky because we have a united cause, everyone leans on one another - everyone has helped me get my children to school this week.
“They say refugees will cause crime but the only ones causing crime has been this anti-refugee group, it's horrific and really frightening.”
John, who is also withholding his surname, said: “I just felt sick, it felt like it was targeting us because we are supportive of refugees.
“I assume they tried finding me and couldn’t, so went after my 89-year-old ex-serviceman dad instead.
“It's fair to say he feels vulnerable - I'm worried – are they going to come after my house or my dad's house?
"[A member of the anti-refugee group] came up to me and started talking about how he likes setting things on fire."
The car attacks appear to have been carried out on Saturday night (25/11) and Sunday night (26/11).
Emma says she saw the attack on her car being carried out from inside her home at 8.25pm on Saturday.
Three windows were smashed and the A-frame around the windscreen was damaged – with her car being declared a write off.
And she says she had a boot full of donations ready to drop off at the hotel and her children’s car seats in the back – all of which were covered in glass.
She also claims her home has also been targeted by trolls ordering expensive takeaways to her property.
John says he was contacted by his dad on Monday morning telling him his car’s rear windscreen had been smashed.
He says the quote for repair his father received was so high he is now considering giving up driving.
And both father and son are concerned they may be targeted again.
Emma said: “It’s upsetting because we’re trying to help people, but our personal space is being violated.
“There are people staying in the hotel who are doctors and who will be waiting for 18 months with nothing to do until they can transfer their papers over.
“These are people who have left everything behind and want to work and be safe.
“I luckily work from home but still rely on vehicle to drive my children around
“This all has knock on effect. I've got a write off of a car now and my insurance premium has gone up.”
John said: “[My dad lives on] a quiet street, the average age on the street is quite high so the prevalence of cameras is very low.
“The first quote for repairing the car has him thinking he might give up driving.
“He doesn’t want to get it fixed – he thinks if he gets it fixed it will happen again.
“Now I’m worried that my house might be targeted, or my dad will be targeted more.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The number of people arriving in small boats is down compared with last year but we must go further to stop the boats in the first place.
“That is why we are determined, through the Illegal Migration Act, to ensure that anyone arriving in the UK illegally is detained and swiftly removed to their country of origin or a safe third country.
“We are also working hard to reduce the unacceptable use of hotels by moving asylum seekers into alternative accommodation, doubling them up in hotel rooms, and clearing the legacy backlog.”
Sussex Police were approached for comment.
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