The Metropolitan Police has been filmed threatening to arrest yet another Christian preacher over so-called “hate-crime complaints” just weeks after a gospel singer faced a similar warning for singing biblical songs.
In footage uploaded on YouTube, officers approached a preacher on Uxbridge High Street in West London.
It was recorded outside the entrance to the Pavilions shopping centre.
Police approached the preacher after a member of the public complained to police about alleged homophobic comments.
A preacher was threatened with arrest in Uxbridge, West London
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The person behind the camera said: “All we're doing is preaching our religion.
“We've been preaching about the gospel and Jesus Christ [and what] the Bible says in the book of John, chapter three verse 16.
“For God's love of the world he gave his one and only son so that whoever, whatever person - homosexual, drunk, liar or a prostitute - believes in him shall not perish and have everlasting life.”
Officers appeared to question the preacher, with one sayijng: “Currently there's allegations of a hate crime, a public order offence, section 4a [and] allegations of homophobia.
“I've not heard anything, I'm not saying I've heard anything. Someone's called us. It might be completely untrue or true.
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The incident took place outside the Pavillions shopping centre in Uxbridge
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“[But] if I do walk away and I see offences, and the victim wants to press charges... I could have failed a potential victim.”
The officer added: “If you don't give me your name or address I have grounds to arrest you. It's code of practice.”
A second officer interjected: “Provide me your name now or you will be arrested. You can spend the night in a cell and we can do it that way.”
The nine-minute exchange, which included a number of cuts in the conversation, seemingly ended amicably.
Harmonie London spoke to Jacob Rees Mogg about her ordealGB NewsA Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Officers were responding to a report from a member of the public that a group of people were making racist and homophobic comments.
“The Met does not tolerate hate crime and officers responded to investigate this. We have watched the body-worn video of the full exchange.
“This showed officers informed the group of the allegations, explained what constitutes a hate crime, and asked them what they had been discussing. There were no arrests.”
However, the footage was released just weeks after a gospel singer was approached by five police officers down Oxford Street.
Harmonie London, 20, was singing outside the capital’s flagship John Lewis store when she was approached by volunteer police officer Maya Hadzhipetkova who wrongly told the busker she could not “sing church songs outside of church grounds”.
Scotland Yard was forced to issue an apology for the mishap, claiming the breach centred around unlicensed busking rather than the lyrics of the songs.
