Satanic rituals, stained-glass windows smashed and thefts: More than 270 criminal incidents at Lincolnshire’s churches

From satanic rituals to thefts and the smashing of stained-glass windows, more than 270 crimes have been committed at churches across the county over a three-year period.

In total, 78 crimes have been recorded at churches and places of worship in Lincolnshire from the start of 2022 until the end of 2024, according to new data obtained by the Countryside Alliance.

These incidents include slaughtered chicken carcasses and pentagrams found at churches, numerous lead thefts and damage.

The figures were obtained by the Countryside Alliance as part of its ongoing call to focus attention on rural churches and increase funding for security at places of worship.

The latest 2022-2024 records from Lincolnshire Police reveal 132 reported thefts.

Of these, five thefts were related to lead being removed from church roofs.

There were also 107 reported cases of criminal damage, and 39 reported cases of violence.

Shocking cases of church crimes have been reported by the media over the past few years, but these only illustrate a tiny section of the widespread church crime problem.

This February, several religious paintings, including a painting of the Ten Commandments that contained the words ‘thou shalt not steal’, were stolen from St Andrew’s Church in Little Steeping.

In the same month, St Helen’s Church in West Keal was hit by vandals, who stole a tapestry, burnt signage, and broke a cross.

St Helen’s in Little Cawthorpe was also hit, back in 2021, with vandals causing an estimated £4,000 worth of damage to stained-glass windows, smashing the faces of biblical figures depicted on the windows.

And St Botolph’s Church at Skidbrooke has repeatedly been targeted by supposed satanists, who have vandalised the building, leaving chicken carcasses with slit throats, pentagrams sketched into stonework, and rings of candles and salt inside the church.

The Churches Conservation Trust have spent more than £13,000 in repairs on St Botolph’s Church since 2015.

Nationally, 179 lead thefts were recorded along with 3,937 thefts, 3,237 incidents of vandalism and criminal damage - including arson - and 1,974 incidents of violence, including sexual assault and assault on an officer.

A further 228 other crimes were recorded, including drug trafficking and crimes against society.

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

The three worst-affected areas in the country were West Yorkshire (with 1,121 recorded crimes), Kent (with 655 crimes) and Greater Manchester (with 642 crimes).

Mo Metcalf-Fisher, director of external affairs at the Countryside Alliance said: “These figures bring into stark relief the devastating fact that many churches and places of worship are being treated as easy targets by criminals.

“These are supposed to be places of refuge and tranquillity, where people go to worship or seek solace - but all too often they are being subjected to heinous crimes, either in or on their property.

“We cannot allow these precious places, which are often the centre of villages and towns in Lincolnshire and across the country, to go unguarded and be so exposed.

“Easy access to protective funding schemes is of the greatest importance, but it is just as vital that members of the public keep an ever-watchful eye on churches and report suspicious behaviour to police.

“It is also our hope that there will be further progress on the development of a new aggravated offense relating to the loss or damage of heritage assets, a move some Parliamentarians have already supported.

“Irrespective of faith or none, churches are more than just community buildings, they are often part of our centuries-old history and heritage. They must be protected”