A 66-year-old Christian pastor and grandfather, Pastor Steve Maile, has spoken out following his arrest for criticising the history of violent Islamism in Watford town centre while preaching and singing Christian hymns and pop songs in a busy public area. The incident has since gone viral on social media.
Footage of the incident on Saturday 18 April 2026, shared widely online, shows a large police presence surrounding Pastor Maile before officers place him in double handcuffs.
According to Pastor Maile, who is now being represented by lawyers at the Christian Legal Centre, he had been peacefully singing and preaching for around ten minutes, drawing on passages of the Bible and calling people to repentance.
Discussing whether Islam is a religion of peace, he criticised the history of violent Islam, but said he had compassion and wanted Muslims to be saved by Jesus.
He was, however, then suddenly approached by police who arrested him on suspicion of public order and hate-related offences.
Pastor Steve exclaims: ‘No offence has been committed here….none whatsoever…. You should be ashamed of yourselves for arresting a minister of the gospel!”
Mocking what he is saying, the arresting policewoman says: “In the name of Jesus, get in the car.”
Steve is a singer who has released five albums and often sings famous songs and applies a Christian message to them. His music spans genres including hip-hop, jazz and opera.
Pastor Maile, who has been a pastor for 45 years and has no previous criminal record, says the arrest caused him significant physical pain and emotional distress.
He alleges he was handcuffed tightly for around an hour and a half, including with a so‑called “double lock”, despite repeatedly telling officers he was in agony.
He later required medical attention and splints for injuries to his hands.
Speaking about the moment of his arrest, Pastor Maile said he was shocked by the scale and speed of the police response. “One moment I was preaching the gospel, the next I was surrounded and in cuffs. I knew immediately this was wrong,” he said.
“Within seconds, they converged on me. Boom, the cuffs were on. Pain. Cuffs on for an hour and a half.
“I was so shocked; everyone was frozen with fear. I was not afraid. Is this a film? Is this reality? I knew it was illegal with righteous anger.”
He also alleges officers did not explain the grounds for his arrest or formally read him his rights before he was forcefully bundled into a police car.
Pastor Maile was first taken to Watford Police Station, where he describes being subjected to what he calls a humiliating and degrading process, before being transferred to Hatfield Police Station.
He says he was held for up to 10–12 hours, denied access to a toilet for a prolonged period, and that his family were not informed where he had been taken.
Police initially accused Pastor Maile of assaulting a teenager, an allegation he strongly denies and which he says was later dropped.
He remains under investigation for alleged hate-related public order offences connected to comments critical of Islam and LGBT lifestyles, which he maintains were Bible-based statements rather than calls to hatred or violence.
“I only ever preach or paraphrase the Bible,” Pastor Maile said. “I plead with people to come to Jesus. I do not attack individuals. I love everyone.”
Pastor Maile says the ordeal has had a lasting impact on him and his family, including sleeplessness and emotional exhaustion. Despite this, he says he does not intend to be silenced and remains committed to preaching peacefully in public spaces.
“They have picked on the wrong man. It was an awful experience being arrested in front of my family and children. This is a gross injustice,” he said. “I want to be acquitted. I want an apology. And I want to ensure this doesn’t happen to anyone else. I will continue to preach in Watford and I am not afraid.”
The Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting Pastor Maile’s case, says the incident, which is now with the Crown Prosecution Service, again raises serious concerns about free speech, freedom of religion, and disproportionate responses to lawful comments made against Islam in public.
Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said:
“Steve’s arrest is deeply troubling. A peaceful, Christian preacher was treated like a serious criminal for expressing his Christian beliefs and that Islam is a false religion in a public place. The footage raises fundamental questions about whether policing in this country is now criminalising Christianity while failing to apply the law equally and consistently. We are supporting Steve as he seeks justice, accountability, and an apology.”