Western Morning News (Saturday)
Police called after children are told ‘Santa’s not real’
AMAN has been reported to police for shouting to children in Taunton town centre that ‘Father Christmas isn’t real.’
Former paratrooper Mike Overd, 56, was accused of causing ‘alarm, harassment and distress,’ on Christmas Eve by yelling at youngsters that Santa didn’t exist.
The controversial preacher was with three others in Taunton town centre between 2-4pm who were reading from the Bible and singing Christmas carols.
Mr Overd claims an Avon and Somerset PCSO approached him after receiving complaints from members of the public that he was upsetting youngsters in Taunton.
When he refused to stop, the PCSO radioed for back-up and a police car and van arrived.
He said: “I told people they needed to follow Jesus and not some fat guy in a red suit. I said Father Christmas doesn’t exist.”
Mr Overd said one of the police officers then approached him and accused him of causing ‘ alarm, harassment and distress’ with his outspoken views. He said a total of eight police officers attended the scene and remained for about half an hour until the end of the carol service.
Police later confirmed they attended but said no further action was taken against him.
But Mr Overd added: “There was a good crowd listening and some of them were upset by the police action.”
The singers and those reading from the Bible had amplification but Mr Overd didn’t because he is banned under the terms of a previous court injunction granted in the summer.
Mr Overd, who is known as the ‘most arrested street preacher in Britain,’ was given a two year ban from using any form of amplification across Bristol and Somerset after a string of complaints from
Mike Overd, whose preaching that Father Christmas did not exist prompted a call to police local residents. The ruling also stated that he can still brandish placards - but cannot use the specific word ‘murderer’ near an abortion clinic.
Overd, who has been preaching in Taunton for more than a decade, is no stranger to controversy over his views. More than 3,000 locals once signed a petition to get the preacher banned from town centres in Bridgwater and Taunton in Somerset.
Avon and Somerset Police said: “A caller rang the police at about 2.15pm on Christmas Eve to complain that children were being upset by a man shouting ‘Father Christmas is not real’ in East Street, Taunton.
“Officers attended and spoke to a group of four people involved in preaching in the street. The officers explained that while they were entitled to preach we’d had a complaint that the comments about Father Christmas were causing distress to children. No further action was taken.”
Over the years Overd has regularly appeared in town centres urging people to “repent.”
I told people they needed to follow Jesus MIKE OVERD