Britain's churches endure more than 10 crimes every DAY in 'national disgrace'

Anna Riley
Wed, 08 Apr 2026 05:00:03 +0000

Britain's churches endured more than 10 crimes every day last year in what's been branded a "national disgrace".

Nearly 4,000 offences were committed in churches and places of worship last year, leaving rural communities reeling.

The data was obtained by the Countryside Alliance as part of its campaign to focus attention on rural churches and increase funding for security at places of worship.

Freedom of Information requests were made to all of the UK’s 45 territorial police forces, with 37 of them providing figures.

There were 3,649 records of theft, burglary, criminal damage, vandalism and assault from January 1 to December 31, 2025.

An additional 175 crimes of different categories brings the total recorded crimes to 3,824.

On average, more than 10 crimes took place at churches and places of worship every single day last year.

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The true figure may be even higher, given how many police forces refused to provide data for recorded crimes at churches in their areas.

58 lead and metal thefts were recorded, along with 1,561 other thefts and burglaries, 1,028 incidents of criminal damage, vandalism and arson, and 997 cases of violence.

The worst-hit areas were London, with 531 crimes recorded by the Metropolitan Police, and an additional 30 by City of London Police, followed by West Yorkshire with 445 recorded crimes and Greater Manchester with 172 recorded crimes.

Criminals kicked in a historic stained glass window to break into Saint Mary's and Saint Martin's in Blyth, Nottinghamshire, last February.

They overturned furniture, scrawled graffiti and damaged the altar cross inside the 11th-century Grade-I listed structure.

Dorothy Spence, the church's parish register secretary, told GB News: "I was devastated that somebody could vandalise such a sacred place who had no care or regard for God, and what this place means to everybody who worships in it.

"It's very worrying because you do expect a place of worship to be left alone, but it's not.

"People come hoping probably to steal money or silver or gold artifacts, and they have no regard for the ethics of Christianity."

The church is one of the oldest examples of Norman architecture in the country and the building was undergoing thousands of pounds of renovation work when it was broken into.

Intruders gained entry by smashing a stained-glass window, which was painstakingly repaired at great cost, but the burglars were never caught.

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Andrew Howells, the church's treasurer, explained: "The stained glass window on the right hand side of these five was the one that was broken when they came in, and they basically took out the bottom five feet.

"In terms of the actual claim, it was probably the order of £7,000, but luckily we only had to pay the excess.

"The insurance premium, of course, has increased about 15 to 16 per cent from memory."

To prevent future damage, the total cost to put mesh on the outside of the church for the six great windows would be £20,000, which the church cannot currently afford.

But a local electrical company offered security lights and cameras and 25 local residents, along with schoolchildren, volunteered to clean up the church after its desecration.

Reverend Louise Bearden told GB News: "This church has been here for many, many years. It was built in 1088 and it's the heart of the community here in Blythe - it's the central hub for weddings, funerals and baptisms."

Data obtained by the Countryside Alliance over the past eight years has revealed a total of 43,868 crimes recorded since 2017, with 17,338 thefts, 12,440 cases of criminal damage and arson, and 5,693 cases of violence.

The group has called on Labour to drastically increase funding for churches and places of worship.

Earlier this year, the Government confirmed the end of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, replacing it with a four-year-fund called the Places of Worship Renewal Fund.

Not only is the new funding a drop in real terms, but, crucially, all repairs and maintenance that take place at any listed place of worship will now be subject to the full VAT costs at 20 per cent - an additional burden on churches, many of which are already struggling with costs.

Mo Metcalf-Fisher, director of external affairs at the Countryside Alliance, said: “Across the country, churches and places of worship continue to suffer, as vandals, thieves and other criminals treat them as easy targets.

"We cannot allow this to continue. Churches and places of worship are focal points for local communities, particularly in rural towns and villages where they play a crucial role in combatting isolation. It is vital that the public keep a watchful eye and report any issues to the police.

"At the same time as it appears crime is going up, funding is going down. The Government has this year imposed VAT on church repairs, increasing costs for hard-pressed and vulnerable churches while at the same time refusing to increase funding in line with inflation.

"It is vital that the government drastically increases funding for churches, so that we can keep these hugely important community assets open and in use.

"It's an attack not just on the community, not just on the church itself, but all the volunteers, the people that put their hearts and soul into these precious spaces.

"We need the police to clamp down on these criminals and the government to assist with ensuring that churches are secure, so we can protect them for generations to come."

Last year, thieves also targeted St Margaret of Antioch Church in Barley, Hertfordshire, stealing £25,000 worth of historic silverware including chalices, a communion flagon and a communion plate.

And just before last Easter, vandals also hit St James Church in Leyland, near Preston, daubing it and nearly 40 gravestones with graffiti claiming "God is a lie" was scrawled over the church building. The police treated the act as a hate crime.

Ben Sims, the head of policy and public affairs at the National Churches Trust, said: “The National Churches Trust welcomes this new report by the Countryside Alliance, which shows that a shocking ten crimes a day were committed at UK churches last year. If volunteers are not supported, and if funding is not easily accessible, this is just one of many sad outcomes.

"Already this year the Government has imposed VAT on 21,000 historic places of worship. By further demoralising volunteers, and causing chaos for ongoing restoration projects, this leads to churches becoming more vulnerable.

"We should be helping those who wish to safeguard our national heritage, not making their lives more difficult.”

The Conservatives labelled the surge in crime against churches a "national disgrace".

Robbie Moore MP, Shadow Defra Minister, said: “Attacks on places of worship cross a line no decent person should ever accept. Churches, especially in rural communities, are the heart of local life, and the surge in crime against them is a national disgrace.

“This is what happens when criminals think no one is watching and no one will stop them, something only made worse by Labour’s plans to scrap jury trials. It cannot go on.

“Only the Conservatives, under new leadership, have a serious plan to protect our places of worship and stand up for rural communities.”

The Liberal Democrats said that more than 10 crimes taking place at churches and places of worship every in 2025 is a "damning indictment of a failed policing model".

Party leader Sir Ed Davey said: "It’s scandalous that our churches and places of worship have become a playground for criminals, with the Government asleep at the wheel.

"These figures are a damning indictment of a failed policing model that has left many rural communities feeling unprotected and unsafe.

"We need a return to proper community policing, with more officers back on the beat and visible in our towns and villages to protect sacred spaces.”

Reform UK blamed the rising church crime figures on previous Government leadership and said it "epitomises lawless Britain."

A spokesman for the party said: "Ten crimes taking place in churches every single day epitomises lawless Britain. This is the direct result of decades of catastrophic failure by successive Labour and Conservative governments.

"With crimes effectively decriminalised, the government has emboldened thugs to desecrate Britain’s most sacred places. Only Reform UK will restore law, order, and respect in this country."

A Home Office spokesman said: “We take crime against churches and other places of worship extremely seriously, and work very closely with the police to protect communities.

“As part of our landmark policing reforms, we’re putting 13,000 more neighbourhood officers into roles to tackle local crime across England and Wales."