A church in west London has successfully overturned a council ban which blocked it from preaching in the town centre.
The London Borough of Hillingdon introduced a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in 2023, which was challenged by the Kingsborough Centre - which has boasted worshippers including England footballer Bukayo Saka.
The PSPO prohibited religious groups from distributing leaflets, using amplifiers, and displaying verses from the Bible in public spaces.
Church officials said they discovered the restriction during a prayer meeting and were shocked to learn they could receive fines of up to £1,000.
The leader of the church, pastor Tunde Balogun said: "As Christians who are committed to our faith, carrying out street evangelism is essential to manifesting our Christian beliefs.
"These rules threatened not only to prevent us from loving our community, but also to criminalise us for doing so." The council's actions were also described by the church as "oppressive".
The church was supported throughout the case by the Christian Legal Centre, which said a group of worshippers were confronted by police the day after the order came into effect.
FULL ARTICLE AT: https://www.gbnews.com/news/council-row-london-christian-preachers-hillingdon-council
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