Police Sergeant Simon Kirkham of South Yorkshire Police

This section is concerned with the allegations of a Christian, Lu Skerratt-Love, a Trustee of St Mark's Church, Sheffield, employed in the Research Unit of the Church Army, and the action of Police Sergeant Simon Kirkham in response to the allegations. Simon Kirkham is a member of the Christian Police Association, South Yorkshire. Further information on the Christian Police Association below.

I provide essential background information concerning a previous visit by a member of South Yorkshire Police. It gives the context for the visit by two members of South Yorkshire Police on 15 February, 2022 and the issue of a 'Community Protection Notice' on that date. It seems very likely that the decision to issue the document was made by Police Sergeant Kirkham. If I'm able to to confirm that it was Police Sergeant Kirkham, as is likely, I think, then I'll be making an official complaint against him. I can readily show that his action was not just unreasonable and disproportionate but far more than that, an action which may well have far-reaching implications.

On 15 February, 2022, two members of South Yorkshire Police - - and - - presented a 'Community Protection Notice - Written Warning, issued on the same day. It contained 'Details of the Conduct:'

'The Police have become aware of you contacting Lu Skerratt-Love via email and hand delivered letters. You have also been contacting her work colleagues via email and letter regarding her. In some of these correspondences you make mention of her personal faith. When you write these emails and letters it causes great upset to Lu and her colleagues at work. This is not fair and certainly not right to do so. It is important that you realise how much you are upsetting / distressing Lu with this conduct. You would not wish for such conduct for your loved ones. We are willing to help in any way.

Fact: Lu Skerratt-Love has received no emails from me. A few people in the Research Unit of the Church Army, her place of employment, have received a single email. This email was a matter of fact email pointing out certain difficulties to do with allotment law, security and safety in allotments near to my own allotments on the Morley Street Allotment site. Further information below.

I sent an email to her Church Army email address on 8 September, 2021 because I could find no alternative, convenient way of contacting her on matters to do with the proposed garden church. The email never reached her because Tim Ling, the Head of Department had blocked emails from me to Lu Skerratt-Love and all members of the Research Department and, I believe, other departments. For a very short time, he allowed emails from me to him and I sent him a further email but after that, emails to him were blocked.

There were matters I wanted to bring to the attention of Lu Skerratt-Love, Tim Ling and one or two other members of the Research Unit. I did that by means of an 'open letter,' a letter not enclosed in an envelope. This communication was courteous and since then, there has been no futher communication from me.

Background information and context concerning two previous approaches by South Yorkshire Police.

In early October, a police officer from South Yorkshire Police phoned me to inform me that Lu Skerratt-Love had complained about some material on my Website. The officer asked me to remove it. I refused. South Yorkshire Police has absolutely no right to censor Websites in this way. My Website is a very large one, with very high Google rankings for a wide range of search terms. The content isn't abusive or threatening. It contains praise for the police.

On 22 November, 2022 I found a card from - - of South Yorkshire police (I don't provide the name of the member of South Yorkshire Police here but I do provide it in the email which states my intention to make a formal complaint.) I contacted this member and was informed that Lu Skerratt-Love had contacted South Yorkshire Police to complain about me. She had alleged that my emails to her were unwanted and must stop.

I sent an email to - - the member of South Yorkshire Police who had left the card. This is a copy. It includes the content of the email I sent to Lu Skerratt-Love but not received by her - matters to do with such matters as security and safety. A copy of the email sent to .. :

Despite the length of this email, this is simply an outline of my concerns. This is an issue which I've already documented in detail and which will now require further documentation. You write, 'Lucy has contacted us to ask you to stop contacting her as the contact is unwanted, therefore please can I ask that you send no further emails.'

This supposedly simple request has alarming implications for freedom of expression, but not only for freedom of expression. You may or may not be aware that I received a phone call from South Yorkshire Police in October giving me information about her approach to the police. She had received only ONE email from me, quoted below. I sent the email to Lu Skerratt-Love because she has an association with the 'Forest Church Movement' in Sheffield and a Forest Church meeting was planned for an allotment site near to my allotments. I took the view that certain difficulties had been overlooked in this plan, including difficulties to do with security and safety.

In fact, the meeting of the Forest (or Garden) Church planned for September never took place. The Facebook page of the Garden Church has given the information that the launch has been delayed owing to concerns to do with safety. It can only have been my emails which alerted the garden church to issues to do with safety, issues which have still not been resolved, it seems - no date has been announced for the inaugural meeting of the garden church. I take the view that my email has served a good purpose. In a world where abusive, threatening communications are commonplace, this email is in a different category completely. It simply provide arguments and relevant evidence.

I felt at the time that Lu Skerratt-Love made her original approach to South Yorkshire Police that this was not a matter which should take up the time of the police. South Yorkshire Police, like other police forces, faces so many pressures, so many demands for action, including, obviously, ones to do with terrorist action and other gross assaults on our democratic way of life - and, also demands for action which are completely unreasonable, which overlook the demands on police time. Lu Skerratt-Love received ONE email from me and has received NO further emails from me. The fact that now she makes a second demand for action on your part seems to me completely unreasonable.

Why this issue should be raised again is beyond my comprehension. All the more so, as Lu Skerratt-Love has travelled to London to take part in Extinction Rebellion protests - protests which again take up a disproportionate amount of police time. When the police are attending to Extinction Rebellion protests then they can't be attending to other issues, including emergencies. I've retained a copy of a tweet of Lu Skerratt-Love which quotes a vitriolic, foul-mouthed attack on the police. I won't give it here, but to me, it amounts to a complete misrepresentation and distortion of the state of the police force in this country and which completely ignores the massive contribution it makes.

My view is that reasonable, evidence-based action to address the issue of climate change can't possibly take place if society descends into chaos, and the police force (and the armed forces of the country) are the most important of all defences against the state of civil disorder and the breakdown of society which Extinction Rebellion seems to accept all too readily but people with a regard for democratic values can't possibly accept. But I urge you to consider also the vital importance of freedom of expression in maintaining our democratic values.

Before I quote the email sent to Lu Skerratt-Love, I provide a quotation from the Website of St Mark's Church. The Website includes this quotation from Lu Skerrat-Love.

'Lu Skerrat-Love writes:

'On 7 October, XR launched its largest worldwide action. In London thousands of rebels joined the rebellion for up to two weeks, spurred on by the need to act now for our climate before it is too late. Myself, and other members of St Mark's, are just some of those rebels. For us, XR speaks truth to power, where a strategy of non-violent disruptive civil disobedience is a way to make effective positive change in order to save this planet from human destruction. ‘My Christian faith felt central to the call from XR to ‘Act Now’, and I spent much of my time in London with Christian Climate Action (the Christian 'wing'), praying, taking part in actions, and doing the daily offices, including Eucharist in front of the police line.

Despite the noise, the clamour, the thousands of arrests [this was a gross exaggeration], the tears, the rain, the fear and the apprehension, it felt like a profoundly holy place. I was shoved, spat at by passers-by, threatened with a night in the cells but kept on, like so many others, joined in union and in partnership that though peaceful action profound change could be made. Christ was present in the mess of it all and with a collective hope (like fresh water) that we were once again renewed in God's call to us, to be stewards of God's creation... And it was good…’

Even an outline of my objections to the distortions and evasions and exaggerations of this account would take up far too much space to be included here.

From my email to Lu Skerratt-Love.

Dear Lu Skerratt-Love,

'I write in connection with this post on the St Marks Website:

'SHEFFIELD FOREST CHURCH – SATURDAY 11 SEPTEMBER AT 2.30PM

'After a summer break, we’re back! Join us for Forest Church on the theme of Creation at the Garden Church in Walkley (Walkley Community Garden, Morley Street S6 2PL) for time to be and worship in God’s creation. Bring a drink and a snack for after the service! Our services are intentionally all age and LGBTQ+ affirming, so whatever stage of life or journey you’re on – you’re so very welcome! For more information, you can find us on facebook or email sheffield.forest.church@gmail.com

'I have two allotments on the Morley Street site in Sheffield. I was dismayed to find that the Forest Church is planning to hold this event at Morley Street this Saturday.

The plan is disastrously misguided, surely. These are some objections:

'The place where it is planned to hold the event is rented land. These are Sheffield Council allotments and as such, are subject to allotment law. The allotments are rented by Lower Walkley Community Group (LWCG). The group's decision to give permission for the Forest Church to hold the event was very misguided but I have evidence to show that throughout, the use of the land by LWCG has been incompetent.

'[You are] seemingly unaware of the legislation applicable to allotments which is intended to protect the safety of the public and the issue of legal liability. Allotments do have hazards, and in the event of injury to a member of the public attending the event at the 'Forest Garden,' there could easily be severe legal consequences.

'According to information I've received, a fundamental disagreement concerning access to the Community Garden precipitated dissension within the group, leading to members going their separate ways and the neglect of the garden, which lasted for many years until this year, when some work has been done, although hardly any of it to do with the growing of food plants. There was a short period when access to the garden was restricted, by a locked gate, but for most of the time, anyone who wanted to enter the garden was able to. A very striking , and very off-putting feature of the garden is the very large heap of rubbish, very long as well as high - discarded plastic, rubbish of many, many kinds, with further rubbish in some Council Wheelie bins. If it's assumed that this was all left by fly tippers, it can't be the only explanation. I think these must have been left by the Group itself. [I've since received information from a reliable source, a person who has an allotment near to my own allotments, that the fly-tipping was the action of a member of the Community Garden Group.]Amongst the discarded plastic containers are ones which once held organic seaweed fertilizer.

Amongst the obvious objections to the pile is the threat to wildlife: small creatures may well find their way into something in the pile and not find a way out, or perhaps injured by sharp objects in the pile. Lu Skerrit-Love describes herself as an 'ecofeminist.' She should not be giving implicit support to an organization which seems to show such a casual disregard for plastic waste and the welfare of wildlife. LWCG should have done something about the problem a long time ago. I'd say that leaving the plot open was asking for trouble. It's an obvious disadvantage if a 'community garden' is locked for most of the time but leaving this particular garden open has had severe disadvantages.

'I've been informed that youths have sometimes gathered in the LWCG garden and been involved in solvent abuse. I can't verify this but an open garden obviously carries security risks. The LWCG garden is some distance from the road, down the long and gloomy heavily path by the side of the Walkley Bank Allotment Association hut. The garden itself is shielded from view. It may not be likely that the church members would meet trouble but if they ever did, this isn't the kind of place where it would be easy to get help quickly. I don't think this is being too alarmist. About thirty years ago, there was a murder on an allotment site in the Rivelin Valley. Three youths were sniffing glue in the allotment. Two of them turned on the third and stabbed him with a garden tool. In the time I've had my allotments, there have been some troubling incidents affecting allotment holders, including threatening behaviour directed at them. The Forest Church has ignored the serious problems to do with security.

'A Christian event at an allotment site would set a very troublesome precedent. Allotments are primarily places for growing food but they have other uses. From the introduction to 'Jane Grigson's Vegetable Book:'

'In my most optimistic moments, I see every town ringed again with small gardens, nurseries, allotments, greenhouses, orchards, as it was in the past, an assertion of delight and human scale.'

'Allotments should not be places for Christian evangelism or Christian worship. Christians have many other venues available for that. There is no need to use allotments at all. Allotments are not the place for the singing of hymns for preaching or for public prayer.

I hope that this conveys some of my reasons for disagreement'.

Although I obviously would like to avoid unnecessary demands on your time, I'm sure that a discussion of the issues in person can easily be justified. Very important issues are involved. I'd be grateful if you would contact me to arrange a visit to my house, either a visit from yourself or from another representative of South Yorkshire Police.

Best Wishes,

Paul Hurt.

I decided that a complaint was justifed but I changed my mind. I've practically never complained about anything and I would only ever complain about police action with the utmost reluctance. I have very great admiration for the police, including South Yorkshire Police and very great appreciation for the difficulties they face. I sent this email to the Complaints and iscipline department on 23 November, 2021:

Earlier today, I sent an email to complain about the conduct of Sarah Forsythe of South Yorkshire Police. I'd now like to cancel the complaint. There has been no change in my view of the importance of free expression by email (and other forms of expression) but I recognize that this is something which isn't an everyday aspect of policing. I've every reason to believe that Sarah Forsythe is a very good and conscientious police constable and I've no wish to cause her difficulties. I hope a way can be found to resolve the issues by means other than a complaint.

The issue of the 'Written Warning' can't possibly be overlooked. It raises very important issues to do with policing, not least issues to do with the impartiality of the police. South Yorkshire Police has absolutely no right to interfere with legitimate comment on matters to do with Christian faith and individual Christians.

From the Website of 'The Star,' the Sheffield newspaper:

https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/christian-police-association-re-launched-sheffield-470835

Dr Billings and the chief were presented with specially commissioned South Yorkshire Police crested bibles by Thomas of Gideons International. Sergeant Simon Kirkham, a Rotherham police officer, delivered the reading to around 150 colleagues, support staff and members of the public who enjoyed music from the worship band.

Force Chaplain Reverend Alison Earl delivered a prayer to start the event and Dr Billings, who is a Reverend Canon with the Anglican Church, also addressed the audience.

It seems that Sergeant Kirkham is now based in Sheffield. The Written Warning contains the comment 'In some of these correspondences you make mention of her personal faith'.

If it is confirmed that Sergeant Kirkham did authorize the issuing of this warning, it has very disturbing implications for freedom of expression. This issue will call for very thorough and extensive comment.

The section to the left contains criticism, but not in the least criticism of South Yorkshire Police as a whole. The section below is about my appreciation for the work of the police, including South Yorkshire Police. This is an extract from existing material on another page of the site, the one which discusses the work of Street Pastors, with some additional material:

'So much criticism of police forces in this country seems to me to be unfair, failing to recognize that in organizations which are large and complex, facing a very wide range of problems, in the case of the police, very demanding problems as varied as knife crime and gun crime, sexual abuse and property crime, the difficulties of vulnerable people, and so many others, facing demands from so many members of the public which are impossible to satisfy, it's inevitable that some people - many people - will be left unsatisfied - the familiar, intractable difficulty of finite resources and infinite - or very great - demands.

The police forces have many, many employees, of course, and, human nature being what it is, it's very likely that from time to time a small percentage will make serious mistakes, which are rightly publicized by the media. Sometimes, criticism which should be specific becomes generalized, amounting to a general indictment of the police. It becomes grossly unfair. Honest criticism is one thing but all too often, the strengths of the police forces are overlooked.

A short extract from the Sky News Website:

Cressida Dick resignation: Metropolitan Police Federation says it has 'no faith' in London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

The body claims comments made by Mr Khan have "undermined the professional, dedicated and incredibly difficult work of tens of thousands of hard-working and brave police officers from across the capital".

Ken Marsh, chairman of the federation, said the atmosphere among officers was at "rock bottom" following the resignation of Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick.

Accusing politicians of using "policing and the career of the country's most senior police leader to deflect from their own failings", Mr Marsh said: "This is not a move we take lightly.'

In a role which is particularly important, protection of the public from violent crime, the police forces rarely fail, and in all their other roles, the successes surely outweigh the failures. But I'd want to put it much more strongly than that.

Police officers risk injury and sometimes death. Street Pastors are overwhelmingly unlikely to be injured let alone killed on the streets at night, but they are ready to portray themselves as 'on the front line,' doing a vital job, and more than that, doing hazardous work.

The site

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/
police-workforce-england-and-wales-31-march-2021/annex-statistics-on-the-number-of-police-officers-assaulted-in-the-year-ending-march-2021-england-and-wales

gives the information that in the year ending March 2021, there were about 37, 000 assaults on police officers in England and Wales. There were 11, 235 cases of 'assaults with injury on a constable.'

An extract which conveys something of the intense difficulties faced by police officers, but not faced by Street Pastors, or not nearly as often. Although Street Pastors may be in close proximity to incidents of aggression, almost always, the aggression isn't aimed at them.

From the Website of the National Police Chiefs' Council

https://www.npcc.police.uk/2017%20FOI/CO/078%2017%20CCC%20April%202017%2006%202%20Spit%20Guards.pdf

'The spit guard is a lightweight mesh garment that is placed over a person’s head to help minimise the risks of communicable diseases (blood borne viruses (BBV)) and injuries associated with a suspect spitting and biting. A Spit Guard will not prevent every injury through spitting or biting, it will not prevent the first instance of spitting. However there are circumstances where a suspect is deliberately spitting saliva and possibly blood, where officers need to be in close proximity to them in order to achieve a lawful objective e.g. searching, preventing self-harm etc where the use of Spit Guard can effectively minimise the risks to officers. Spit Guards cannot prevent the blunt trauma injury from biting, however they can reduce the transfer of bodily fluids in these cases.'

The work of the police calls for a very wide range of skills and personal strengths. Some of the situations they have to deal with call for immense courage, others for tact and sensitivity. I remember very well one instance where I found the response of a member of South Yorkshire Police very, very impressive. I was at the house of some grandparents and their grandchild was there. They'd brought her up in the child's early years but this was much later. There have been psychiatric issues of some severity, and the police officer had been called to help with one of these episodes. The police officer responded with immense skill. His words were ones which seemed to me to be very helpful throughout, ones which would be very likely to lower the emotional tension and in the event achieved this.