The Countryside Alliance’s latest investigation has revealed that in 2025 nearly 4,000 crimes were committed on church property as well as other religious premises.

Figures were obtained by the Countryside Alliance as part of its continuous campaign to focus attention on rural churches and increase funding for places of worship.

Freedom of Information (FOI) requests were made to all of the UK’s 45 territorial police forces. At the time of writing, 44 police forces had responded to our requests, with 37 of them providing us with figures.

The figures show that there were 3,637 records of theft, burglary, criminal damage, vandalism and assault from January 1 to December 31 2025. An additional 172 crimes of different categories brings the total recorded crimes to 3,809.

This means that, on average, more than ten crimes took place at churches and places of worship every single day last year. The true figure will likely be even higher, given that a number of 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 (total thefts and burglaries 1,619), 1,018 incidents of criminal damage, vandalism and arson, and 1000 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).

Last year, thieves 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.

In February, at St Mary and St Martin, Blyth, Nottinghamshire, criminals kicked in a historic stained glass window to break into the church - costing thousands of pounds to replace. They did not stop there, also overturning furniture, scrawling graffiti inside the building and damaging the altar cross.

And, just ahead of Easter last year, vandals hit St James Church in Leyland, near Preston, daubing the church and nearly 40 gravestones with graffiti in an act the police are treating as a "hate crime". Graffiti claiming "God is a lie" was scrawled over the church building.

Mo Metcalf-Fisher, Director of External Affairs at the Countryside Alliance, stated:

"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."

Ben Sims, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the National Churches Trust, commented:

“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.”

Data obtained by the Countryside Alliance over the past eight years has revealed a total of 43,853 crimes recorded since 2017, with 17,338 thefts, 12,430 cases of criminal damage and arson, and 5,696 cases of violence.

The Countryside Alliance has urged the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity in and around churches and places of worship to the police.

The campaign group has called on the Government to drastically increase funding for churches and places of worship. Earlier this year,  the UK Government confirmed the end of 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%; a massive additional burden on churches, many of which are already struggling with costs.

Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Nolan, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Heritage Crime said:

"As the policing lead for heritage crime, I’m acutely aware of the impact it can have on communities.  Crime and anti social behaviour targeting our heritage can be targeted or simply thoughtless, but the harm can still be significant.  Crimes impacting churches are one of the most common reports impacting our heritage.  

"Every force in England and Wales has a dedicated heritage crime officer to support preventing and investigating reports of heritage crime.  They are the link with other key organisations so vital for spotting and deterring this type of crime. We’re fortunate to have long established partnerships with Historic England and the Church of England – along with other organisations across the UK – and have supported the development of guidance on crime prevention and investigation techniques, and raising awareness.

"I would encourage anyone to report suspicious activity, no matter how minor it may seem, whether that’s around churches themselves, which are often in isolated locations, or around unusual metal or stone that may have come from church or heritage sites." 

Following widespread media coverage of the investigation, senior party figures, including the Conservative and Liberal Democrat party leaders, commented on the issue.

Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, said churches were "the heart of the community" in towns and villages across the country, and pledged to restore full funding to the listed places of worship grant scheme if the party returns to power. She said:

"Churches are not just places of worship - in many towns and villages, they are the heart of the community, a source of local pride and part of history stretching back hundreds of years".

She added that Conservatives believe churches "embody the values that built our country" and said "we must do what we can to protect our churches from this level of criminality."

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 Reform UK 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."

Background:

Under the Freedom of Information Act, the following questions were asked to all 45 territorial forces:

How many crimes have been recorded by your force involving theft from/at churches or from/at church property from January 1 2025 - December 30, 2025?
a)  If possible, please could you clarify how many of the thefts recorded relate to lead being taken from the church roof?
How many crimes have been recorded by your force involving assault (physical/violent) at churches or on church property from January 1 2025 - December 30 2025? 
How many crimes have been recorded of vandalism by your force on churches or on church property from January 1 2025 - December 30 2025?

Note: Some forces do not log ‘church’ as a building type specifically and may instead log location as religious building. For the avoidance of doubt, I would like data related to religious buildings in this instance.

44 police forces responded to our requests, with 37 of them providing us with figures. Gloucestershire Police did not respond to our request at all. Thames Valley Police, Derbyshire Police, Cheshire Police,  Avon & Somerset Police, Durham Police, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Police and Police Scotland all refused to answer our request, and thus did not provide us with any figures.

Undoubtedly, then, the problem is even larger than these figures would suggest.

The breakdown by force is as follows:

Avon and Somerset

Avon and Somerset Police refused to respond to our FOI request.

Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 73 crimes were recorded at churches in Bedfordshire. This includes 31 theft and robbery offences, of which one related to lead, 18 cases of criminal damage and arson, and 9 cases of violence.

Cambridgeshire

Cambridgeshire Constabulary responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 117 crimes were recorded at churches in Cambridgeshire. This includes 66 thefts, of which 3 relate to lead, 25 cases of criminal damage, and 26 cases of violence.

Cheshire

Cheshire Constabulary refused to respond to our FOI request.

City of London

City of London Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 30 crimes were recorded at churches in the City of London. This includes 11 thefts and 8 cases of violence.

Cleveland

Cleveland Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 28 crimes were recorded at churches in the Cleveland area. All of these were thefts, one of which relates to lead.

Cumbria

Cumbria Constabulary responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 21 crimes were recorded at churches in Cumbria. This includes 5 thefts, of which 1 relates to lead, 13 cases of criminal damage, and 3 cases of violence.

Derbyshire

Derbyshire Constabulary refused to respond to our FOI request.

Devon and Cornwall

Devon and Cornwall Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 109 crimes were recorded at churches in Devon and Cornwall. This includes 60 thefts, 1 of which relates to lead, 26 cases of criminal damage, and 23 cases of violence.

Dorset

Dorset Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 7 crimes were recorded at churches in Dorset. This includes 4 thefts, of which 2 relate to lead, 2 cases of criminal damage, and one case of violence.

Durham

Durham Constabulary refused to respond to our FOI request.

Dyfed Powys

Dyfed Powys Police responded to our FOI request in full. In total, 25 crimes were recorded at churches in Dyfed Powys. This includes 15 thefts, 2 of which relate to lead, 7 cases of criminal damage, and 3 cases of violence.

Essex

Essex Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 130 crimes were recorded at churches in Essex. This includes 58 thefts, one of which relates to lead, 43 cases of criminal damage, and 29 cases of violence.

Gloucestershire

At the time of writing, we had not received any response from Gloucestershire Constabulary with regards to our FOI request.

Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 172 crimes were recorded at churches in the Greater Manchester area. This includes 88 thefts, 3 of which relate to lead, 54 cases of criminal damage, and 30 cases of violence.

Gwent

Gwent Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 42 crimes were recorded in a church or on church grounds in the Gwent area. This includes 19 thefts, 13 cases of criminal damage, and 2 cases of violence. 2 crimes in this period related to the theft of lead from church roofs.

Hampshire

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary refused to respond to our FOI request.

Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire Constabulary responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 103 crimes were recorded at churches in Hertfordshire. This includes 49 thefts, 5 of which relate to lead, 24 cases of criminal damage, and 30 cases of violence.

Humberside

Humberside Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 98 crimes were recorded at churches in the Humberside area. This includes 42 thefts, of which 4 relate to lead, 36 cases of criminal damage, and 20 cases of violence.

Kent

Kent Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 107 crimes were recorded at churches in Kent. This includes 35 thefts, of which one relates to lead, 44 cases of criminal damage, and 16 cases of violence.

Lancashire

Lancashire Constabulary responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 158 crimes were recorded at churches in Lancashire. This includes 68 thefts, of which 8 relate to lead, 27 cases of criminal damage, and 63 cases of violence.

Leicestershire

Leicestershire Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 139 crimes were recorded at churches in Leicestershire. This includes 58 thefts, 28 cases of criminal damage, and 31 cases of violence.

Lincolnshire

Lincolnshire Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 95 crimes were recorded at churches in Lincolnshire. This includes 29 thefts, 1 of which relates to lead, 41 cases of criminal damage, and 25 cases of violence.

Merseyside

Merseyside Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 70 crimes were recorded at churches in the Merseyside area. This includes 17 thefts, 2 of which relate to lead, 40 cases of criminal damage, and 13 cases of violence.

Metropolitan

The Metropolitan Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 531 crimes were recorded at churches in Greater London (excluding the area covered by City of London police). This includes 255 thefts, 76 cases of criminal damage, and 200 cases of violence.

Norfolk

Norfolk Constabulary responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 146 crimes were recorded at churches in Norfolk. This includes 58 thefts, 52 cases of criminal damage, and 36 cases of violence.

North Wales

North Wales Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 76 crimes were recorded at churches in North Wales. This includes 24 thefts, 24 cases of criminal damage, and 16 cases of violence.

North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 71 crimes were recorded at churches in York and North Yorkshire. This includes 28 thefts, one of which relates to lead, 26 cases of criminal damage, and 17 cases of violence.

Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 56 crimes were recorded at churches in Northamptonshire. This includes 37 thefts, 17 cases of criminal damage, and 2 cases of violence.

Northern Ireland

The Police Service of Northern Ireland responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 153 crimes were recorded at churches in Northern Ireland. This includes 57 thefts, 70 cases of criminal damage, and 26 cases of violence.

Northumbria

Northumbria Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 77 crimes were recorded at churches in the Northumbria area. This includes 49 thefts, of which one related to lead, 12 cases of criminal damage, and 16 cases of violence.

Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 48 crimes were recorded at churches in Nottinghamshire. This includes 26 thefts, of which one related to lead, 14 cases of criminal damage, and 8 cases of violence.

South Wales

South Wales Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 128 crimes were recorded at churches in the South Wales area. This includes 43 thefts, of which one related to lead, 24 cases of criminal damage, and 61 cases of violence.

South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 98 crimes were recorded at churches in South Yorkshire. This includes 41 thefts, 27 cases of criminal damage, and 30 cases of violence.

Staffordshire

Staffordshire Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 56 crimes were recorded at churches in Staffordshire. This includes 23 thefts, of which 4 related to lead, 19 cases of criminal damage, and 14 cases of violence.

Suffolk

Suffolk Constabulary responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 109 crimes were recorded at churches in Suffolk. This includes 48 thefts, one of which relates to lead, 40 cases of criminal damage, and 21 cases of violence.

Surrey

Surrey Police responded in full to our FOI request, however, they did not provide us with clear figures, instead providing us with details that there were less than 5 cases of burglary, less than 5 cases of theft, less than 5 cases of violence with injury, less than 5 cases of violence without injury, and less than 5 cases of criminal damage. Since we can assume that there was at least one incident of each category, we are therefore concluding that there were at least 5 crimes committed at churches in Surrey, of which 2 were cases of theft and burglary, 2 were cases of violence, and one was a case of criminal damage.

Sussex

Sussex Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 79 crimes were recorded at churches in Sussex. This includes 29 thefts, of which 2 relate to lead, 29 cases of criminal damage, and 21 cases of violence.

Thames Valley

Thames Valley Police refused to respond to our FOI request.

Warwickshire

Warwickshire Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 18 crimes were recorded at churches in Warwickshire. This includes 6 thefts, of which one relates to lead, 3 cases of criminal damage, and 9 cases of violence.

West Mercia

West Mercia Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 128 crimes were recorded at churches in West Mercia Police’s area. This includes 38 thefts, 45 cases of criminal damage, and 45 cases of violence.

West Midlands

West Midlands Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 50 crimes were recorded at churches in the West Midlands. This includes 23 thefts, of which one relates to lead, 17 cases of criminal damage, and 10 cases of violence.

West Yorkshire

West Yorkshire Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 445 crimes were recorded at churches in West Yorkshire. This includes 147 thefts, of which 6 relate to lead, 77 cases of criminal damage, and 126 cases of violence.

Wiltshire

Wiltshire Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 11 crimes were recorded at churches in Wiltshire. This includes 2 thefts, one of which relates to lead, 4 cases of criminal damage, and 5 cases of violence.

Police Scotland

Police Scotland refused to respond to our FOI request.

Photo credit: Graham Robinson, Licensed Lay Minister, St Mary and St Martin Church, Blyth