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Nigel Farage says ethnicity of suspected sex offenders should be revealed to public

Reform party leader Nigel Farage speaks during a press conference in Westminster.
Reform party leader Nigel Farage speaks during a press conference in Westminster. Picture: Alamy

By Danielle Desouza

Nigel Farage has said the ethnicity of suspects charged with sexual assaults and rapes should be revealed to maintain public trust.

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The Reform UK leader has said there has been "rising public anger" as seen with the numerous protests outside migrant hotels in recent weeks.

Over the weekend a peaceful protest held by mothers wearing pink descended into violence after masked thugs hijacked the gathering taking place outside a suspected migrant hotel in Canary Wharf.

Speaking at a press conference in Westminster, Mr Farage said: "Given there’s a pretty febrile atmosphere … particularly [around] sexual assaults and rapes, where the temperature on this debate has risen significantly … I do believe they should [disclose suspects’ ethnicities]."

Asked by LBC's Political Editor Natasha Clark if revealing the identities and addresses of people after they've been charged wouldn't inflame community tensions and cause more unrest, the Reform UK leader said people "need to be given reasonable truth".

"What caused unrest on our streets after Southport last year was us not being told the status of the attacker. That led to crazy conspiracy theories spreading online."

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George Finch, leader of Warwickshire County Council.
George Finch, leader of Warwickshire County Council. Picture: Alamy

Mr Farage added: "We do understand and respect the contempt of court rules, but I'm gonna go back and quote ... Jonathan Hall KC, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation and watchdog over this area, you know, who said in the wake of Southport, which has spelled out the basic and sober facts.

"He also said that governments should stop hiding by contempt of court rules. People need to be given reasonable truth. And you know, we might not like the truth, or we can accept the truth, but to have masses of speculation as to what might have happened makes things I think far worse than they otherwise would be."

He told the Westminster press conference said the issue had escalated from being about the fairness of taxpayers funding accommodation for asylum seekers to the “safety of women and children”.

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Download the LBC app now. Picture: LBC

He was joined by George Finch, 19, the Reform leader of Warwickshire County Council.

Finch spoke about how small boat arrivals should no longer be put up in houses of multiple occupancy, or hotels, at the expense of the taxpayer - a comment Farage agreed with.

Farage added that no young unidentified men who arrives by small boats should be "free to roam the streets".

"They should be detained," he added.

The comments come amid the number of migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the English Channel topping 25,000 in recent days.