Mob marches on Pakistan cricket team - assuming them to be migrants

Just days after an anti-migrant protest erupted in Portsmouth following the arrival of a boat carrying migrants, a mob last night descended on a hotel in the city amid reports it was housing asylum seekers.

Around 50 people marched on the Marriott Hotel in the suburb of Cosham as reports circulated on social media that a number of migrants had been spotted staying there. Except they weren’t migrants or asylum seekers, but… Pakistan’s under-19 cricket team who are currently touring England.

The event was attended by the leader of Reform on Hampshire Council, George Madgwick, who later boasted on social media that he had demanded proof from the hotel that they were cricketers (it is not clear how – did he insist on bowling a few off-breaks at them?) and was eventually convinced it was the case.

“A number of concerned local residents spotted what they believed to be migrants going into the Marriott hotel,” he wrote on Facebook. “A number of you messaged me and asked me to come down. I spoke to the hotel and they agreed to meet me.

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“Within an hour I was in attendance. Spoke to the crowd forming, who were all respectful and calm – but concerned. The man leading the crowd was very clear they must remain in public land – stay calm, no drinking, no abuse.

“I visited the manager and the hotel explained it was a Pakistani Cricket [sic] team staying. The cricket coach came to speak to me personally and I saw proof (hotel were happy to provide).”

Of course, though, it wasn’t the fault of a bunch of thick racists seeing a group of non-white men and just assuming they must be illegal migrants who had invaded Britain on a small boat – it was down to, er, the government!

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“The government need to understand why things like this happen,” fumed Madgwick, fresh from checking all of the men could satisfactorily explain what lbw was. “It’s not because the protestors and crowd were bad people – quite the opposite.

“It’s because they care deeply about their community and area and see it crumbling before their eyes. Local residents just want to protect their city they love in the best way they know how.”

By, er, putting on their best black clobber, marching on a hotel and protesting at a team coming over to play some cricket? Right you are, George.

(Incidentally, the cricketers best hope Madgwick did not take their names and email addresses. Two months ago the Information Commissioner’s Office ruled he had breached data protection obligations by using data collected in a political survey to help promote his partner’s restaurant. That’s just not cricket!).