A church leader in the UK says police warned him that he may face a criminal investigation because a Bible verse displayed on the back of his campervan could be treated as “hate speech.”
The story is yet another chilling example of how far Britain’s crackdown on religious expression has gone.
Pastor Mick Fleming, 59, who runs an independent church and anti-poverty charity in Burnley, said he was approached by a police officer at a gas station on October 27.
The officer warned Fleming that the Scripture on his vehicle might be considered hateful “in the wrong context.”
The verse was John 3:16, one of the most widely known and quoted passages in the Christian faith:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”
According to Fleming, the officer tapped him on the shoulder and quietly issued the warning.
“He was a really nice guy, wasn’t nasty or anything, and he said ‘a bit of advice – the writing could be seen as hate speech in the wrong context. I am just giving you a heads up,’” Fleming said.
The officer allegedly cautioned him that if anyone complained, police would “investigate” and he “could end up in trouble.”
Fleming said the exchange left him stunned.
“I just thought ‘wow’ – I just wondered what people thought … where have we moved to as a country where a bit of Christian scripture on the back of a van can be seen as hateful or spiteful?”
He added:
“Maybe society is moving to a place where they don’t want faith-based people sat around a table in discussion with them … for me it’s an integral message of how real change is possible.”
Fleming, who now lives in the van after giving up his belongings, posted a video describing the encounter and asked viewers for their thoughts.
He says he refuses to remove the verse.
“I’m not going to change it,” he said, insisting the Scripture is not “spiteful or hateful.”
Online commenters overwhelmingly defended him.
One wrote:
“There’s nothing wrong with the sign, it’s all positive, so I don’t get why it’s a problem.
“It’s not offensive in the slightest.”
Another added:
“Hate speech? It’s the complete opposite. It’s love speech.
“In fact, even the word love sells God’s feelings for us so short.”
A Pastor Once Caught in Crime, Now Targeted for His Faith
Fleming’s story from drug dealer and armed “fixer” to pastor serving the homeless is well known in the UK.
He has been featured on the TV show Songs of Praise, and even praised by the Prince of Wales, who said he was “deeply moved” by his work.
Fleming says his transformation began in 2009 when he believed he was visited by an angel, leading him to abandon his criminal life.
Concerns Grow Over Misuse of Hate Speech Law
Lancashire Police claim they have no record of the encounter and stated:
“We would not consider this to be hate speech and would ask the person in question to speak to us directly so that we could look into the matter.”
But free speech campaigners note that police have repeatedly misused hate speech laws to target Christians.
President Donald Trump’s administration even raised alarms in August, warning that Britain was engaged in a broad clampdown on expression, citing “credible reports of serious restrictions on freedom of expression.”
A Bible Verse as a Crime?
Under UK law, displaying Bible verses publicly is typically lawful.
However, authorities have the power to pursue charges if they believe wording could be interpreted as “threatening” or intended to “stir up hatred.”
That discretion has increasingly put ordinary religious individuals in the crosshairs.
Fleming says the entire incident reflects a darker shift.
A country once rooted in free expression and Christian tradition is now warning pastors that Scripture, even the Gospel’s central message, could be a criminal offense.
READ MORE – UK Government: First Amendment Doesn’t Protect Americans from British Censorship Laws
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