Investigation: Over 9,000 crimes reported at churches across UK in just three years

The Countryside Alliance’s latest investigation has revealed that from 2022 to 2024, over 9,000 crimes have been 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 security at 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, 43 police forces had responded to our requests, with 33 of them providing us with figures.

The figures show that there were 9,148 records of theft, burglary, criminal damage, vandalism and assault from January 2022 to December 2024.

This means that, on average, at least eight crimes took place at churches every single day over the three-year period.

179 lead and metal thefts were recorded, along with 3,758 other thefts and burglaries, 3,237 incidents of criminal damage, vandalism and arson, and 1,974 cases of violence.

The worst-hit areas were West Yorkshire, with 1,121 crimes recorded, followed by Kent (with 655 recorded crimes) and Greater Manchester (with 642 recorded crimes).

In Edgbaston, in June last year, a brazen thief strolled into a church at 11am one Monday morning, before stealing a priceless 140-year old bronze eagle lectern.

In August, an overnight break-in at Sherborne Abbey saw £90,000 worth of silver items stolen by thieves.

And in Hartlepool, three teenagers were charged with arson having set ablaze the Grade II listed Wesley Chapel.

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

“Horrific attacks on churches and places of worship continue to happen all across the country. Thieves and criminals treat them as easy targets, brazenly stealing from and causing criminal damage to these focal points of our communities.

“Churches and places of worship are the beating heart of many rural towns and villages. They are meant to be places of sanctity, solace, and refuge. Increasingly, however, they seem to be being subjected to awful acts of crime on a regular basis.

We cannot allow these cherished places to continue to be unprotected against the machinations of criminals – it is vital that the public keep a watchful eye and report any issues to the police.”

A Church of England spokeswoman said:

"Our churches play such a crucial role in providing spiritual, pastoral and practical support to their local communities, helped by our wonderful volunteers. A crime committed at a church is a real setback, not just for its congregation, but for all those who benefit from its presence in their community".

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

“Stealing from, or damaging any places of worship, historic buildings and cultural sites is abhorrent.

“Churches are important to many communities across the country and these crimes directly impact people who visit, worship and enjoy those spaces.  They are attacks on our national and local heritage, and can cause irreplaceable damage.

“We are committed to tackling this issue and our heritage crime officers across the country will continue to work with partners to reduce offending and raise awareness about the long-lasting damage heritage crime can have.  We ask everyone to report anything suspicious online, via 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers, and have some great Heritage Watch schemes across the country people can join. ”

Data obtained by the Countryside Alliance over the past seven years has revealed a total of 39,544 crimes recorded since 2017, with 15,506 thefts, 11,253 cases of criminal damage and arson, and 4,568 cases of violence.

The Countryside Alliance has called on the Government to extend and guarantee future funding and promotion of the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme, provided free of charge by the Home Office to protect places of worship and associated community centres in England and Wales.

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

In 2023, two lead-thieves were sentenced to ten years in prison, having caused £1.25 million worth of damage to 40 churches over a seven-month period. After they were released on bail, the thieves fled the country but were arrested on European Arrest Warrants and were extradited.

Crimes in West Yorkshire churches and religious buildings included nearly 100 incidents of stalking and harassment, a case of drug trafficking, and 11 incidents of rape, as well as other sexual offences.

One incident in Hertfordshire last July, at St Mary’s Church in Baldock, saw several gravestones smashed or completely destroyed, while the church rector stated that “all the windows and doors” of the church hall had been broken.

And in Kent, three masked men broke into St Augustine’s Abbey in Ramsgate in July 2023, causing £1,000 of damage, ransacking rooms and demanding money, as well as kicking and punching one man on the floor and pinning a priest in his bed.

 Background:

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

1. How many crimes have been recorded by your force involving theft from/at churches or from/at church property from January 1, 2022- December 30, 2024?
2. a)  If possible, please could you clarify how many of the thefts recorded relate to lead being taken from the church roof?
3. How many crimes have been recorded by your force involving assault (physical/violent) at churches or on church property from January 1, 2022- December 30, 2024? 
4. How many crimes have been recorded of vandalism by your force on churches or on church property from January 1, 2022- December 30, 2024? 

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.

• 43 police forces responded to our requests, with 34 of them providing us with figures. Essex Police and Thames Valley Police did not respond to our request at all. Wiltshire Police, Dfyed Powys Police, Derbyshire Police, Cheshire Police, Avon & Somerset Police, Devon & Cornwall Police, Durham Police, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Police, Metropolitan 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, 185 crimes were recorded at churches and mosques in Bedfordshire, 171 at churches and 14 at mosques. This includes 99 thefts (94 at churches and 5 at mosques), of which 4 relate to lead, 45 cases of criminal damage (44 at churches and 1 at a mosque), and 41 cases of violence (33 at churches and 8 at mosques).

Cambridgeshire

Cambridgeshire Constabulary responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 118 crimes were recorded at churches in Cambridgeshire. This includes 64 thefts, of which 1 relates to lead, 25 cases of criminal damage, and 29 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, 78 crimes were recorded at churches in the City of London. This includes 46 thefts, 22 cases of criminal damage, and 10 cases of violence.

Cleveland

Cleveland Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 114 crimes were recorded at churches in the Cleveland area. This includes 29 thefts, of which 5 relate to lead, 64 cases of criminal damage, and 21 cases of violence.

Cumbria

Cumbria Constabulary responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 178 crimes were recorded at churches in Cumbria. This includes 32 thefts, of which 1 relates to lead, 76 cases of criminal damage, and 70 cases of violence.

Derbyshire

Derbyshire Constabulary refused to respond to our FOI request.

Devon and Cornwall

Devon and Cornwall Police refused to respond to our FOI request, citing cost reasons, but they informed us that from 2022-2024 there were 623 crimes recorded with the keywords “church” or “chapel”.

Dorset

Dorset Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 44 crimes were recorded at churches in Dorset. This includes 25 thefts, 2 cases of criminal damage, and 17 cases of violence.

Durham

Durham Constabulary refused to respond to our FOI request.

Dyfed Powys

Dyfed Powys Police refused to respond to our FOI request.

Essex

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

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire Constabulary responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 198 crimes were recorded at churches in Gloucestershire. This includes 85 thefts, 95 cases of criminal damage, and 18 cases of violence.

Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 642 crimes were recorded at churches in the Greater Manchester area. This includes 335 thefts, 212 cases of criminal damage, and 95 cases of violence.

Gwent

Gwent Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 183 crimes were recorded on church grounds in the Gwent area. This includes 96 thefts, 54 cases of criminal damage, and 19 cases of violence. 6 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, 65 crimes were recorded at churches in Hertfordshire. This includes 29 thefts, 31 cases of criminal damage, and 5 cases of violence.

Humberside

Humberside Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 151 crimes were recorded at churches in the Humberside area. This includes 102 thefts, of which 3 relate to lead, 13 cases of criminal damage, and 36 cases of violence.

Kent

Kent Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 655 crimes were recorded at churches in Kent. This includes 429 thefts, of which 15 relate to lead, 159 cases of criminal damage, and 67 cases of violence.

Lancashire

Lancashire Constabulary responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 583 crimes were recorded at churches in Lancashire. This includes 267 thefts, of which 13 relate to lead, 181 cases of criminal damage, and 135 cases of violence.

Leicestershire

Leicestershire Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 448 crimes were recorded at churches in Leicestershire. This includes 165 thefts, of which 5 relate to lead, 134 cases of criminal damage, and 149 cases of violence.

Lincolnshire

Lincolnshire Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 278 crimes were recorded at churches in Lincolnshire. This includes 132 thefts, 5 of which relate to lead, 107 cases of criminal damage, and 39 cases of violence.

Merseyside

Merseyside Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 474 crimes were recorded at churches in the Merseyside area. This includes 162 thefts, 1 of which related to lead, 193 cases of criminal damage, and 119 cases of violence.

Metropolitan

The Metropolitan Police refused to respond to our FOI request.

Norfolk

Norfolk Constabulary responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 15 crimes were recorded at churches in Norfolk. This includes 6 thefts, all six of which relate to lead, and 9 cases of criminal damage.

North Wales

North Wales Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 184 crimes were recorded at churches in North Wales. This includes 74 thefts, 100 cases of criminal damage, and 10 cases of violence.

North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 165 crimes were recorded at churches in York and North Yorkshire. This includes 69 thefts, of which 2 relate to lead, 74 cases of criminal damage, and 22 cases of violence.

Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 279 crimes were recorded at churches in Northamptonshire. This includes 142 thefts, of which 5 relate to lead, 73 cases of criminal damage, and 64 cases of violence.

Northern Ireland

The Police Service of Northern Ireland responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 605 crimes were recorded at churches in Northern Ireland. This includes 243 thefts, of which 5 relate to lead, 257 cases of criminal damage, and 105 cases of violence. N.B., the figures we were sent did not include data from December 2024.

Northumbria

Northumbria Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 327 crimes were recorded at churches in the Northumbria area. This includes 96 thefts, of which 17 related to lead, 178 cases of criminal damage, and 53 cases of violence.

Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 344 crimes were recorded at churches in Nottinghamshire. This includes 190 thefts, of which 11 related to lead, 105 cases of criminal damage, and 49 cases of violence.

South Wales

South Wales Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 120 crimes were recorded at churches in the South Wales area. This includes 57 thefts, of which 12 related to lead, 57 cases of criminal damage, and 6 cases of violence.

South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 531 crimes were recorded at churches in South Yorkshire. This includes 186 thefts, of which 13 related to lead, 178 cases of criminal damage, and 167 cases of violence.

Staffordshire

Staffordshire Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 202 crimes were recorded at churches in Staffordshire. This includes 60 thefts, of which 15 related to lead, 116 cases of criminal damage, and 26 cases of violence.

Suffolk

Suffolk Constabulary responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 6 crimes were recorded at churches in Suffolk. This includes 5 thefts, all of which relate to lead, and one case of violence.

Surrey

Surrey Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 76 crimes were recorded at churches in Surrey. This includes 38 thefts, 27 cases of criminal damage, and 11 cases of violence.

Sussex

Sussex Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 567 crimes were recorded at churches in Sussex. This includes 145 thefts, of which 12 relate to lead, 257 cases of criminal damage, and 165 cases of violence.

Thames Valley

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

Warwickshire

Warwickshire Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 33 crimes were recorded at churches in Warwickshire. This includes 14 thefts, of which one relates to lead, 11 cases of criminal damage, and 8 cases of violence.

West Mercia

West Mercia Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 117 crimes were recorded at churches in West Mercia Police’s area. This includes 36 thefts, of which 4 relate to lead, 41 cases of criminal damage, and 40 cases of violence.

West Midlands

West Midlands Police responded in full to our FOI request. They offered us the caveat that some of these crimes may not have happened at a church, but could be from incidents where a church was the nearest identifiable landmark, and so was noted as such in their database. In total, 76 crimes were recorded at churches in the West Midlands. This includes 21 thefts, of which 3 relate to lead, and 55 cases of violence.

West Yorkshire

West Yorkshire Police responded in full to our FOI request. In total, 1335 crimes were recorded at churches in West Yorkshire. This includes 458 thefts, of which 15 relate to lead, 341 cases of criminal damage, and 322 cases of violence. A further 214 crimes related to issues such as possession of weapons and drugs were also recorded.

Wiltshire

Wiltshire Police refused to respond to our FOI request.

Police Scotland

Police Scotland refused to respond to our FOI request.