Labour council U-turn on injunction that would have criminalised Christian street preaching and Christmas carols
10 May 2025 Issued by: Christian ConcernA Labour council has been forced into a dramatic U-turn after it sought a court injunction to criminalise Christian prayer, singing and evangelism in public.
On 7 March 2025, Rushmoor Borough Council sought an injunction at Aldershot and Farnham County Court that would have imposed draconian restrictions on Christian Street preachers in Aldershot and Farnborough.
Supported by the Christian Legal Centre (CLC) and working with local Churches and Conservative Councillors, Gareth Lyon and Ade Adeola, the preachers resisted the injunction and following a meeting on 23 April at the council offices, the Council has said it ‘will pause’ their application for an injunction.
At the meeting various faith leaders (the local vicar, an Army Chaplain, pastors of independent evangelical churches) and local preachers made their objections known to the council.
Sally McGuiness, a cleaner and regular street evangelist broke down in tears as she recounted the burden the threat of criminalisation placed on her over the last few weeks. She told the council that once she was aware of the council’s intentions, she attempted to contact the council on no fewer than 5 occasions but not once did the council engage with her.
She spoke of the hopeless and emptiness of the people that she has reached out over the last 15 years and that there had never been any complaints about her.
She said that most of the complaints centred on a young man who recently became a Christian, but has come under wing of older Christians and has since changed his preaching style. There have been no recent complainants about his preaching.
Council officers were told at the meeting by CLC lawyers representing the preachers that the injunction application was unprecedented and particularly poorly drafted such that the injunction would almost certainly result in the criminalisation of carol singing and handing out Christian leaflets.
By the end of the meeting, many were calling for the complete withdrawal of the injunction application.
Open air Christian preaching has a long history in the United Kingdom and is seen as hallmark of the UK’s freedom of speech and expression.
Increasingly, however, since the turn of the century, whether through police arrests or ‘censorship zones’ around abortion clinics, authorities are continually seeking to erode these freedoms, especially Christian beliefs seen as ‘offensive’.
Since 2023, Rushmoor council appear to have been preparing the injunction which it says was made ‘to control the behaviour of the defendants’ who are ‘unknown’’.
A number of local preachers and evangelists often share the Christian faith in the Aldershot and Farnborough town centres through public speaking, sharing leaflets, offering prayer and healing and providing outreach support to the homeless and vulnerable.
Preachers challenging the injunction, recognise that sometimes there are some who are young, passionate and in training who occasionally get carried away, but that this is rare.
They add that the nature of preaching the Christian message of salvation inevitably leads to a few members of the public being ‘offended’ by that message.
However, the preachers say that it is not a criminal offence to offend someone and say that the council is disproportionately focusing on negatives while giving no respect or recognition to the good that Christian witness brings to the community.
The Council claiming that it wanted to ‘prevent alarm and distress’ the applicant for an injunction was issued last month pursuant to section 22 of the Local Government Act 1972 and sections 1 and 2 of the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014.
The injunction sought to ban prayer, singing or preaching, breaking the injunction could result in fines, arrests and prosecutions and even prison. The maximum custodial sentence for breaching an injunction is two years.
Praying and singing would be banned
The injunction applied to prohibit, for example:
“Praying, whether with outstretched arms or otherwise, for anyone visiting, working or living within the Town Centres of Aldershot and Farnborough, as shown outlined in red on the attached plan, without their prior permission.”
“Offering up or personally handing to anyone visiting, working or living within the Town Centres of Aldershot and Farnborough…any leaflet, letter or poster or other written material. For the avoidance of doubt this does not prohibit [street preachers] from allowing others to take any written material which is merely placed on a stand or the floor and available to be taken.”
‘Touching anyone visiting, working or living within the town centres of Aldershot and Farnborough…for the avoidance of doubt this includes the laying of hands in anyone in prayer.’
‘Approaching anyone who is not themselves street preaching for the purpose of engaging them with discussion about religion or belief.
“Engaging in street preaching which is hostile towards anyone with the protected characteristic of age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation.”
The council’s anonymous legal representative who drafted the injunction says this strikes ‘a fair balance between the rights of all concerned’ and said that the council had ‘considered its public sector equality duty.’
Despite not consulting the preachers or members of the public, the injunction claims that: ‘the only way to mitigate the impact’ of the street preaching was ‘to apply the injunction’ and that members of the public can still preach but with extensive ‘restrictions on offensive behaviour.’
‘Christian preaching = non-inclusive environment’
Examples cited by the council to justify the injunction, included a member of the public who said they are gay and had a “transgender son” who was worried about the “non-inclusive environment for certain members of the community” and the risks that she might experience if she came “into contact with these preachers.”
While street preachers were sharing the gospel of salvation with the hecklers strangely the hecklers confronted the preachers with a sign that said: ‘Jesus Hates Gay People.’
The preachers responded and said: ‘Jesus doesn’t hate gay people, he hates sin’, and another said: ‘God blesses you and wishes you to be free of evil’.
Similarly, the individual with the sign said the preachers create ‘a non-inclusive environment.’
Under the injunction, however, it is the preachers who would face censorship and potential prosecution.
Other complaints cited by the council include preachers using portable PA systems, evangelising, and preaching on topics that may cause ‘harassment, alarm and distress’.
Members of the public have said Christian preaching makes them ‘angry and upset’ and that it ‘ruins their day’ when ‘they are judged.’ One even complained that preaching during the day had impacted their sleep.
Other complaints even include Christians praying for a homeless person and offering healing prayer to the sick.
Following legal support from the Christian Legal Centre, the council postponed the court hearing which sought to seal the injunction and have said they now intend to re-write it. The court have not yet relisted the matter.
The council’s approach appears to have united the preachers and local churches who are prepared to challenge the proposed measures as far as necessary to protect their Christian freedoms.
“I couldn’t believe it”
One preacher, Jamie Broadey, who is a trained evangelist, said: ‘when I first saw the application, I thought that they must have made a mistake’ ’ I felt complete unbelief that it was saying that you can’t have religious discussions, you can’t pray or sing, and people have to come to you, you can’t go to them and share the gospel which Christians have done freely in this country for centuries.
“However, following the meeting, it seemed that the council have taken onboard our concerns. We welcome the news that the council has withdrawn its application, but it is highly concerning that they made this attempt to criminalise the Christian faith in the first instance.
“I thought that someone at the council, who must very anti-Christian, has produced this or it must be pure incompetence. But then we found out that the council has been working on this for two years and instructed a barrister to help them! They put notices about the injunction across the area and many people within the council must have approved this and used significant amounts of taxpayer money to do so.”
“Since we found out about the injunction and asked for prayer, we have been contacted by Christians from across the UK. The issue is uniting preachers and Christians and we are prepared to challenge this as far as need be to prevent the gospel being criminalised in Aldershot and Farnborough.”
‘Silencing the gospel’
Another preacher, Sally McGuinness, who preaches in the area and does a lot of work supporting the homeless and the most vulnerable in the community, said: “This injunction attempted criminalise me for helping the homeless and infringing on my rights to do good. I think the council has failed to see the good that Christians bring through proactive outreach.
“If this had not been challenged and stopped in its tracks now, we have no doubts that the Christian faith would be criminalised in Aldershot and Farnborough. This would have been terrible for Christian freedoms and freedom in general in this country.
“We are still awaiting an apology from the council and assurances that nothing like this will ever happen again.
“I couldn’t believe it when the injunction, it unashamedly stopped the gospel being shared and treated us like unwanted criminals.”
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said: “Rushmoor Borough Council’s attempt to silence Christian Street preachers represents a significant and deeply troubling attack on freedom of speech and religious expression.
“From the start, Christian Concern, through its legal arm the Christian Legal Centre, stood alongside the street preachers. We have trained them in UK freedom of speech law and best practices, and supported them through coordinated legal and community action. They, in turn, have strengthened themselves through prayer, accountability, and ongoing dialogue.
“The gospel has never been silenced by opposition—in fact, challenges like these have historically refined, not weakened, the Church’s resolve.
“Thanks to the swift action of Christian Concern, the local preachers, councillors and supporters—and the public attention generated—the Council now recognises the serious error of judgment it made. A meeting is now scheduled between the Council and the preachers to explore constructive and lasting solutions.
“This attempted injunction was not merely an overreach – it was a direct assault on the liberties that underpin our democratic society. Freedom of speech—and especially religious expression—is not a privilege handed out at the discretion of local authorities. It is a fundamental right, protected by law, and hard-won through centuries of struggle.
“We urge Christians to remain vigilant and prayerful, and to continue supporting efforts to ensure that the public square remains open to the gospel and to the free exchange of ideas.”
