'Though shalt not steal' painting one of 278 crimes recorded in Lincolnshire churches
A painting with the words ‘though shalt not steal’ is one of 278 crimes recorded in Lincolnshire churches in the past three years, according to new data.
The crimes have been recorded at churches and places of worship in Lincolnshire from the start of 2022 until the end of 2024.
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.
As reported, the painting of the Ten Commandments that contained the words “thou shalt not steal” was stolen from St Andrew’s Church, Little Steeping, in February.
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 £4000 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 “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.
The organisation’s annual report into crimes on churches and religious buildings has revealed a total of 39,544 incidents between 2017 and 2024, with data obtained under Freedom of Information laws going back to 2017.
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. 228 other crimes were recorded, including drug trafficking and crimes against society.
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.
“They must be protected”
Police told Lincolnshire World that a specially trained Heritage Crime Team investigates such incidents.
“Sadly, churches and other religious buildings can be targeted by criminals due to lack of security or being left unlocked to enable access for members of the community,” a spokes[erson for Lincolnshire Police said.
"Crime like criminal damage to stained glass windows can cost thousands of pounds and be difficult to repair or replace.
"Theft of religious historic artefacts are irreplaceable, heritage crime harms the wider community and once it’s gone, it’s gone for ever. “It is important to protect these buildings, so where possible make sure all doors are secure when they are not in use, consider adopting measures such as CCTV and outdoor lighting, and photograph and secure any valuable items within the church.” If anybody witnesses a crime being committed, call 999. Otherwise, report the crime via the website at lincs.police.uk/ro/report/rwc/rural/report-rural-crime/.