EXCLUSIVE Police say why Christians were told to stop preaching gospel outside one of London's busiest stations - but announce review by 'senior officer'
Police have explained why a Christian group were told to stop preaching outside one of London's busiest stations - but said the decision would be reviewed by a 'senior officer'.
A video circulating on Instagram shows a female British Transport Police officer telling Christians to stop spreading the gospel outside King's Cross station, adding: 'I just think it's wrong'.
The short clip from the bizarre confrontation sees the officer telling the evangelists 'it's so loud'.
She continued: 'These people just want to do their journey, they're not coming here to listen to you.'
The preacher replies: 'If I was doing a happy, clappy song it would be okay?' The officer, who walks away from the argument, responds: 'I just think it's all wrong.'
However, in a statement British Transport Police said the preachers were moved on as they were using a loud speaker to spread their message - something which needs to be approved by Network Rail before use.
A spokesperson said: 'We are aware of a video posted on social media showing an interaction involving an officer outside Kings Cross railway station.
'Officers were on patrol at the station when they came across a group preaching on private land with a loud speaker which requires permission from Network Rail, and as such they asked them to leave.
'We fully appreciate anyone's right for religious expression, and the incident in full is currently being reviewed by a senior officer.'
The pair were standing on the concourse betweeen the iconic London hub and St Pancras International, which gets a combined traffic of nearly 60,000,000 people every year, when they claim they were told to move.
Mon B, a preacher who leads Mad 4 Jesus Ministries, claims her team were told they couldn't stand in front of the barriers before the officer gave them her 'unnecessary' opinion.
It comes after a series of controversial confrontations between the police and preachers in London.
Last year they were forced to apologise after Christian singer Harmonie London was told to stop performing church songs outside a church's grounds.
Reacting to the video, one horrified commenter said: 'I'm sorry is this officer paid to give out her opinions? Or is she paid to protect the public.'
Another added: 'You are not breaking the law. She should be out catching criminals not bothering you.'
And a third said: 'Luckily you're not paid for your opinions. You're paid to do your job and stopping peaceful preachers is not part of it.'
Mon B later claimed to have spent time praying with a second police officer, who was working with the cop who confronted her.
A video of them gathered together showed the police officer nodding along and appearing to thank them as they finished.
A third video, which appears to have been taken from the same spot outside the station shows her singing a modern Christian duet through a loud speaker.
Commuters quickly pass the group by as they sing Yeshua, a song released by religious group Jesus Image in 2022.
In January last year, the Met Police apologised for causing offence after a volunteer officer told Christian singer to 'stop performing church songs outside church grounds'.
The force said the officer should not have told Harmonie London, 20, that she was not allowed to sing church songs outside of church grounds - and she said she felt 'humiliated', 'sad' and 'bullied' following the confrontation.
Volunteer officer Maya Hadzhipetkova was accused of breaking the musician's human right to freedom of expression and religion today after she threatened to take away her instruments following a performance of Amazing Grace.
The Met clarified that the supposed breach was due to unlicensed busking rather than the content of the songs she was singing.
But they added: 'The officer was mistaken in saying church songs cannot be sung outside of church grounds.
'We're sorry for the offence caused and will take the learning forward.'
A month after, a Met Police officer sparked fury when they threatened to arrest a Christian preacher who was accused of a hate crime - weeks after a gospel singer was threatened with arrest for singing religious songs.
The clip was filmed by the missionaries on Uxbridge High Street in west London outside the entrance to the Pavilions shopping centre after a member of the public complained to police about allegedly homophobic comments.
The person who is videoing the officers says: 'All we're doing is preaching our religion. We've been preaching about the gospel and Jesus Christ [and what] the Bible says in the book of John, chapter three verse 16.
'For God's love of the world he gave his one and only son so that whoever, whatever person - homosexual, drunk, liar or a prostitute - believes in him shall not perish and have everlasting life.'
However, as the preacher continues to ask for clarification regarding the situation, two separate officers threaten to arrest him unless he provided his details.
One officer can be heard at the beginning saying: 'Currently there's allegations of a hate crime, a public order offence, section 4a [and] allegations of homophobia.
'I've not heard anything, I'm not saying I've heard anything. Someone's called us. It might be completely untrue or true.
'[But] if I do walk away and I see offences, and the victim wants to press charges... I could have failed a potential victim.'
They add: 'If you don't give me your name or address I have grounds to arrest you. It's code of practice.'
A second officer similarly says there has been an allegation of a hate crime which has caused 'alarm or distress in a public space'.
They then demand: 'Provide me your name now or you will be arrested. You can spend the night in a cell and we can do it that way.'
The nine-minute exchange, which features a number of cuts in the conversation, sees officers trying to reason: 'I'm not trying to attack you.'
Accused of being 'emotional', the preachers reply: 'We're just passionate.'
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