567 crimes at churches
AN investigation into lead thefts and other criminal activity at churches has found 567 reported crimes in Leicestershire since 2017.
Campaign group Countryside Alliance said a Freedom of Information (FoI) Act request to police revealed 103 recorded cases of lead theft – the highest in the country – and also 294 general thefts in the past three years.
Churches in the county have been subject to 126 counts of criminal damage since 2017. There are also 44 cases of violence against a person.
In Lincolnshire, 313 total crimes were reported in the same time period, while Nottinghamshire saw 333 reported crimes, including 42 of violence against a person.
Across the UK, 19,493 crimes were committed at churches and religious buildings in the 40 of 45 UK police forces which responded to the FoI request.
These included 2,490 cases of violence, 4,162 of criminal damage and 7,206 of thefts, 940 of them of lead.
Jessie Dunn, of the Countryside Alliance, said: “These figures paint a bleak picture of criminal attacks on our churches and religious buildings.
“As a society, irrespective of faith or none, we need to be much more vigilant when it comes to watching over churches and places of worship by reporting suspicious activity.
“It serves as a reminder of the importance of funding and pushing for visible policing, particularly in rural areas.”
Speaking to Premier Christian radio, Church of England director of churches and cathedrals Becky Clark said: “While these things are undoubtedly very damaging, very harmful, we’re still looking at the majority places.
“We’re trying to work with the police on different initiatives to deal with some of the most widely presenting issues.
“This research includes churchyards. In some communities, they might be the only green and open space available to people.
“So it’s going to be a natural place for people to come to for all sorts of things, mostly good, but occasionally bad.” of churches being safe