Kemi Badenoch has been warned that her proposal to evict some foreign nationals from social housing could worsen tensions in Thetford, where anti-migrant disorder has continued for three nights. The warning follows incidents in which protesters allegedly targeted homes believed to house asylum seekers, forcing police to move residents to safety.

The Conservative plan would restrict eligibility for social housing and give affected tenants six months to leave; the party says it could free about 230,000 homes. Housing providers and other critics say the policy may increase homelessness, face legal challenges and deepen community division, while arguing that the underlying shortage stems from decades of insufficient social-housebuilding. Police arrested two people on Thursday, bringing the total number of arrests to five.