Few U.K. churches applied for government security funding despite terror warnings
Despite the warnings of terrorist attacks, less than half a percent of the churches in the U.K. have applied for government funding to improve the security of church buildings.
The National Churchwatch has warned that the risk of terrorist attacks against churches have increased after the murder of the French priest inside a parish in Normandy last July. The government has since allocated £2.4 million ($2.6 million) for the improvement of the security of religious venues such as churches and mosques.
A webpage was created to allow those who operate places of worship to place their bids for security equipment such as CCTVs, bollards, door locks, intruder alarms, external lighting and security doors.
The bidding was opened on July 26. It was initially scheduled to close on Sept. 20 but it was extended until Oct 4. It was revealed that only 223 churches have applied for funding during the bidding period.
"The take up doesn't look good," Labour MP Mark Hendrick said at the parliament. "Maybe a combination of a lack of awareness or the churches themselves in some areas don't need it," he added.
Professor Anthony Glees, a security expert from the University of Buckingham, is worried about the low number of applications.
"It [an attack] could happen and good security is about prevention more than anything else, so it should be taken up and it should be taken up as a matter of urgency," he told Premier.
Nick Tolson of National Churchwatch told Premier that there had been churches that were rejected because there had been no reports of hate crimes. He added that those same churches could be facing a lot of security issues.
"We need a bit more funding from the government to help those churches who need security improvements," he said.
In an earlier statement, Tolson noted that smaller churches are more likely to be attacked.
"It won't be Westminister Abbey or St Paul's, it will be a little church in Bolton or Birmingham. It's the small churches, just like the one in France," he told Telegraph.
