𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Kemi Badenoch has demanded action to protect Britain’s churches after data revealed a crime wave hitting places of worship at a rate of ten incidents a day. 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.

Ms Badenoch 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 a history stretching back hundreds of years.” She added that Conservatives believed 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.”

Her intervention came as figures obtained by the Countryside Alliance revealed that british churches are suffering from a crime wave, with 10 crimes a day recorded such as arson, theft and vandalism. Nearly 4,000 crimes were recorded last year against church property and other religious premises, with campaigners warning that crooks treat the sites as “easy targets”.

Of 44 police forces who were asked to stump up the data, just 37 responded, meaning the true figure could be much higher than the 3,637 thefts, burglaries, vandalism and criminal damage incidents carried out in 2025. The Countryside Alliance, who gathered the data, warned that an average of ten crimes a day were recorded against churches and places of worship every day across the country.

London was the worst hit area, with 531 crimes recorded, followed by West Yorkshire on 445 and Greater Manchester on 172. Last year crooks made off with £25,000 worth of historic silverware, including a communion plate, from the St Margaret of Antioch Church in Hertfordshire.

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 overturned furniture, scrawled graffiti inside the building and even damaging the altar cross.

Mo Metcalf-Fisher of the Countryside Alliance warned that people “cannot allow this to continue” hailing churches as “focal points for local communities, particularly in rural towns and villages where they play a crucial role in combating isolation.” He urged members of the public to “keep a watchful eye and report any issues to the police.”

The government has imposed VAT charges on church repairs, which critics say will drive up costs for vulnerable communities already struggling to keep their churches open. Mr Metcalf-Fisher added: “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.”

The Countryside Alliance has campaigned to see funding increased for Churches, and claims that the grant scheme provided by the government would see funds drop in real terms.

VAT on church repairs would add a 20% charge to religious groups.

Ben Sims, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the National Churches Trust welcomed the report, released today by the Alliance, saying: “If volunteers are not supported, and if funding is not easily accessible, this is just one of many sad outcomes.”

He added: “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 Home Office was approached for comment.