Devon & Cornwall Police has said it would like to put on record some statements of fact regarding a recent incident in Newquay where a man has been charged with rape.

The incident on Saturday, March 12, has seen a man charged with the alleged rape of a woman in her 30s. This matter is now subject to ongoing proceedings which must be respected, said the force. 

Cornwall commander Chief Superintendent Ben Deer said: "This incident has caused significant concern in the community and my officers and staff have been making efforts to increase visibility in order to ensure residents and visitors to Newquay feel safe and secure.

"There has been a number of speculative social media posts suggesting the man charged in relation to this offence was a resident at the Beresford Hotel in Newquay which is currently housing asylum seekers in the town. This has led to further posts which have suggested women and children in the town are at risk from attack by those asylum seekers living at the hotel.

"I would like to put on record that this is categorically untrue and the individual charged with the offence is not a resident at the Beresford Hotel.

"We maintain close partnership arrangements with Cornwall Council and other agencies to ensure any community impact is effectively managed and that both residents of the hotel and those living in Newquay are safeguarded.

“Comments suggesting offences are being committed by those staying at the hotel are untrue and unnecessarily raising community tension.

"If proactive policing action is required to safeguard the Newquay community, this will of course be addressed and I would encourage anyone with genuine concern to speak to local police.”

Ch Supt Deer added: "We are aware of a further potential protest being held outside of the hotel this weekend. While Devon & Cornwall Police respects the right to peaceful protest, I would ask all people to think about their comments and actions and the unhelpful rumour, myth and speculation this builds.

"Newquay is a vibrant and welcoming town, something which I and I know local partners and businesses want to see continued as we approach what we hope will be a successful holiday season."

Devon and Cornwall Police had themselves come under fire on social media for the perceived handling of how the incident was publicised, with one campaign group accusing them of "stoking community tensions."

Cornwall Resists, a coalition of protest groups in Cornwall that emerged from Resist G7, put out a statement criticising the way in which Devon and Cornwall Police had handled reporting information regarding the incident, after an area where the accused man was from was given in the statement of his arrest. However, it is common practice to give a non-specific address for people charged with alleged crimes, to avoid misidentification. 

The group also took aim at local media outlets that reported on it at the time. 

A spokesperson for Cornwall Resists said: "How could the police screw up this badly?

"They should have known this would inflame community tensions."

Cornwall Resists is also calling on the organisers of a second protest in Newquay to cancel their plans, stating: “The protest has been called under false pretences.

"It is currently spreading a dangerous and racist lie.

"It is time for the organisers to admit they got this wrong and call off their plans."