Machete attack near Bournemouth migrant hotel leads to arrest

A man was struck on the head with a machete in Boscombe Chine Gardens, Bournemouth. Police arrested a suspect at the nearby Chine Hotel, used to house asylum seekers.

Machete attack in Bournemouth garden prompts armed police response

Armed officers attended a migrant hotel in Bournemouth on Wednesday after a man was struck over the head with a machete, aol.co.uk reports.

The victim was involved in an altercation with another man in Boscombe Chine Gardens at around 12.40pm. During the row, the attacker allegedly produced the long-bladed weapon and hit the victim on the head. He was taken to hospital; police say his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Officers cordoned off the area close to Boscombe beach before their enquiries led them to the nearby Chine Hotel, where a man was arrested on suspicion of causing attempted grievous bodily harm. The suspect was seen being escorted from the hotel and into a police van.

A Dorset Police spokesperson said: "We received a report at 12.40pm today of a man in possession of a machete in Boscombe Chine Gardens. It is reported that during an altercation a man sustained an injury to his head. He has been taken to hospital for treatment to injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening."

"A man has been arrested on suspicion of causing attempted grievous bodily harm. There will be an increased police presence in the area while enquiries are carried out to establish the full circumstances of what happened."

The Chine Hotel is one of three properties in the Bournemouth area hired by the Home Office to house asylum seekers. The Victorian building, which once hosted figures including Dame Vera Lynn and Laurel & Hardy, backs onto the public gardens and offers sea views. It has been closed to the general public for several years since its conversion.

Local residents have previously attributed a rise in anti-social behaviour, drug use and assaults in the area to the hotel's use as asylum seeker accommodation, and have claimed property values nearby have fallen as a result.

Source: The Sun