Children threw missiles at police in Epsom last night as hundreds of protesters gathered to demand descriptions of men suspected of gang raping a woman.
Footage showed two young boys pelting police with items taken from inside a ripped black bin bag, with one of them also throwing a traffic cone. An officer then appeared to shout the name of one of the boys before he fled.
Protests broke out in the upmarket Surrey town just before 5pm as crowds accused police of failing to release enough information about a group of rape suspects.
A woman, in her 20s, said she was attacked between 2am and 4am on Saturday, April 11, outside the Epsom Methodist Church on Ashley Road.
Surrey Police previously said a group of men had followed her after she left the nearby Labyrinth nightclub. Officers have said they do not yet have ‘sufficient information’ to provide descriptions of the suspects.
This afternoon, around 200 residents gathered inside Epsom Methodist Church for the ‘Hope for Epsom’ service attended by community leaders, police officers and clergy.
Reverend Catherine Hutton began with a message: ‘Today our community gathers to demonstrate our love for the people of Epsom.’
Rev Hutton said the service was a place for people to express ‘our outrage’ at the rape of a young woman.
She added: ‘People of Epsom we are kind. Together we build the future of hopeful Epsom.’
A specially commissioned song of hope was sung before those attending were given the opportunity to lay stones at the front of the church.
Helen Maguire, Lib Dem MP for Epsom and Ewell, has called on the public to ‘let the police do their work’.
‘While I support peaceful protest and understand that members of our community are rightly angry after the appalling assault on a young woman, those who are turning to disruption and intimidation cannot be allowed to do so,’ she said.
‘Behaviour such as damaging police vehicles, blocking key roads, and intimidating officers is completely unacceptable. To those who have come into Epsom from outside our community to spread division and cause disruption: take it elsewhere. It won’t be tolerated here.’
Ms Maguire said the victim was being ‘supported by specialist officers’.
She added: ‘Gathering evidence in cases as serious and sensitive as this takes time – it is a complex process, and it is right that police are given the time and space to do it properly.
‘If you want justice for this young woman, the best thing you can do is let the police do their work. Epsom is a compassionate and united community. Let’s show it.’
Video posted on social media showed crowds of protesters gathered in Epsom town centre.
Dozens of police officers could be seen wearing helmets and holding shields, with a cone and other objects apparently thrown in their direction.
Surrey Police said it had put in place a ‘significant’ police presence, including specially trained public order officers, until protesters left at around 8pm.
The force has maintained it does not have enough information to release the descriptions as demonstrations broke out this evening.
It also urged people not to speculate about the descriptions of the suspects as they work to identify them.
East Surrey Chief Superintendent Mark Chapman said he appreciated the ‘significant police presence’ in the town may have caused ‘concern’.
However, he said they were there to ‘support the group’s right to lawful protest and minimise disruption to the local community’.
‘I appreciate that this may have caused concern to people in the town centre, and I would like to reassure you that our priority was to ensure the safety of the wider public, as well as the safety of those involved in the protest,’ he added.
‘I also appreciate that there was some disruption in the town centre while the protest was taking place, and I would like to thank all those affected for their patience.
‘We respect the right to lawful protest and will facilitate this wherever possible where it is safe to do so.
‘However, criminal offences and public disorder will not be tolerated, and we will always take robust action against anyone who commits a criminal offence.
‘Surrey Police works with all those seeking to protest, along with our partners and the local community, to ensure everyone’s views can be heard while at the same time encouraging them to always act lawfully.’
It comes after the force previously released a statement in a bid to ‘reassure’ locals amid ‘distress and concern’ caused by the reported rape for the victim as well as the community.
‘I want to reassure you that we are working hard to progress this investigation,’ the Chief Superintendent added.
‘While we have already carried out extensive enquiries, we do not have sufficient information at this time to update you with the descriptions of the suspects.
‘I appreciate that this causes increased concern, and I can assure you that we will update you with these descriptions as soon as we are able to do so.
‘In the meantime, I would urge people not to speculate about the descriptions of these suspects as this may lead to additional tensions within our local communities.
‘I would also like to reassure you that we have stepped up patrols in the area and this increased police presence will continue over the weekend.
‘While we continue to progress our investigation, we would urge anyone with any information who has not already come forward to do so as a matter of urgency.’
Epsom Methodist Church is holding a ‘community act’ tonight in a bid to ‘raise our voices for women who are vulnerable and all who are victimised’.
It comes after Merseyside Police was criticised for not revealing the ethnicity of Axel Rudakubana after his arrest in July 2024.
The Southport attacker killed three young girls and injured several more people at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport in an incident that rocked the nation.
Within hours of the attack, posts spread on the internet which claimed the suspect was a 17-year-old asylum seeker who had come to the country by boat.
This later emerged to be misinformation, as it was revealed Rudakubana was born in Cardiff to parents from Rwanda.
Last August, the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) released interim guidance encouraging police to share the ethnicity and nationality of suspects.
Epsom is the 12th most desirable place to live in England and Wales, according to a 2026 list compiled by Garrington Property Finders, with the average home costing £712,105.
Meanwhile, Surrey Police have urged witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage in the area at the time to contact them by quoting reference number PR/45260041426.
Alternatively, those who wish to report anonymously can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or using their online form.
