A church in west London has successfully overturned a council ban which blocked it from preaching in the town centre.
The London Borough of Hillingdon introduced a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in 2023, which was challenged by the Kingsborough Centre - which has boasted worshippers including England footballer Bukayo Saka.
The PSPO prohibited religious groups from distributing leaflets, using amplifiers, and displaying verses from the Bible in public spaces.
Church officials said they discovered the restriction during a prayer meeting and were shocked to learn they could receive fines of up to £1,000.
The leader of the church, pastor Tunde Balogun said: "As Christians who are committed to our faith, carrying out street evangelism is essential to manifesting our Christian beliefs.
"These rules threatened not only to prevent us from loving our community, but also to criminalise us for doing so."
The council's actions were also described by the church as "oppressive".
The church was supported throughout the case by the Christian Legal Centre, which said a group of worshippers were confronted by police the day after the order came into effect.
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|The Kingsborough Centre has successfully overturned a council ban which blocked it from preaching in the town centre
They said they were warned by officers that their actions - which included preaching, distributing leaflets, and holding signs - were in breach of the PSPO.
According to the group, messages on their signs, which they were asked to hide, included phrases such as "Jesus Christ is Lord of Lords and King of Kings".
They also had leaflets titled "How Can I Know God" and "What is Christianity: An Introduction to the Story of Jesus".
During the case, lawyers representing the church argued the order was in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights.
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|The London Borough of Hillingdon introduced a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in 2023
The council introduced a revised order in May of this year which allows religious preaching to continue after undertaking a review and public consultation.
The council has also agreed to pay the church's legal costs, which came to around £20,000.
But the authority denied targeting Christian groups, and said the PSPO was introduced to address unlicensed events and disruptions in the town centre.
A statement said: "It is utterly misleading to suggest there was a ban on 'sharing Christian beliefs' or any censorship on preaching."
Balogun said he was "relieved and grateful" about the decision, declaring that their "mission is to bring hope and the love of Jesus Christ to the people of Uxbridge".
He added: "The services we provide should be supported, not suppressed. We hope this case sets a precedent for others."
Chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, Andrea Williams, reiterated the decision was an important moment for free speech.
"Christian open-air preaching has a long and respected history in the UK and is seen as a pillar of free expression, whether or not people agree with the message," she said.