Church appeals ban on street preaching after passerby told ‘he was going to hell’

An evangelical church in Colchester, Essex, is appealing a ban on loudspeakers preaching on its streets and an order preventing “intimidating behaviour” after members told passers-by they were going to hell.

Bread of Life Community Church is appealing the Community Protection Notice (CPN) issued in March by Safer Colchester Partnership, which operates under Colchester City Council. Violating such an order constitutes a criminal offence.

Michael Phillips, of Bread of Life Community Church, which made the appeal, told a hearing at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Friday that the CPN “imposed a number of requirements”.

These include “stopping using amplification or speakers” and “stopping intimidating behavior,” he said.

He said he believed this was a group’s “first attempt to control the speech of a local authority”.

“This was a public sermon, as it has been for thousands of years,” he said.

“You may not like what is said, but there is freedom of expression in this country.”

“Unfortunately it appears the council has taken a view on this matter without engaging with local interested parties,” he said.

“There was just the imposition of this notice; if you breach the notice it is a criminal offence,” Mr Phillips said.

Laura Austin, from Colchester City Council, said on behalf of respondents: “This was not an attempt by a government body to condemn a local religious group.

“There is nothing stopping this group, or any group, from preaching in a way that expresses legitimate religious grievance.”

He said a “vulnerable man” being helped by his carer “found the volume of the amplification too loud”.

He said the man “covered his ears with his hands and when he plugged his ears with his hands he was told he would go to hell.”

He also said there were allegations that “people were making homophobic comments and chants against homosexuals”.

“It is important to note that there have been attempts to engage with this group but they have not been successful,” he said.

A two-day hearing has been scheduled for the appeal, with the first day on 22 October at Southend Magistrates’ Court and the second day on 29 October at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court.

A case management hearing will be held at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on August 21.