The chaotic scenes erupted in Thetford amid increasing tensions in the town over the Home Office's bid to move more than 1,000 refugees to RAF Barnham.

An extended session of Tuesday's scheduled Thetford Town Council meeting had been arranged for the public to air concerns over the scheme and around 250 locals descended on Carnegie Hall to have their say.

There was a strong police presence in Thetford as officers worked to calm a frustrated crowd of locals (Image: Supplied)

An aerial shot of RAF Barnham (Image: MIKE PAGE)

Three hours earlier, the event had been moved to the larger venue from the smaller Guildhall to allow more people to attend.

However, only around 120 people were allowed into the building before all the spaces were taken, leaving an even larger number outside and keen to get in.

In addition to private security staff hired by the council, seven police officers were on duty outside the building to maintain order and as tempers frayed they were forced to intervene on several occasions to stop members of the public trying to force their way in.

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