hrist the King Polish Catholic Church in Balham, south London. Wikimedia Commons

Law enforcement officers shut down an Easter provider at a south London church on Very good Friday.

Worshippers were threatened with £200 ($276) fines or even remaining arrested.

A local Polish Catholic Mission agent stated that the police had “brutally exceeded their powers.”

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Video footage has emerged of law enforcement officers shutting down a Great Friday support for breaching the UK’s coronavirus limitations.

Prayers have been interrupted at Christ the King Polish Church in South London when Metropolitan Law enforcement officers entered the setting up on Friday night, Sky News documented.

Two officers then took in excess of the pulpit and issued warnings to the church’s worshippers, the movie displays.

1 officer can be heard telling the congregation that the gathering was “regrettably illegal” less than COVID-19 constraints in the United kingdom.

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Whilst there are no numerical boundaries on church attendance, England’s present lockdown rules specify that spots of worship must social length, and community health prerequisites should be fulfilled.

In the clip, the officer goes on to need that the worshippers return property.

“Failure to comply…. eventually could lead to you becoming fined £200 ($276) or, if you fail to give your facts, to you getting arrested,” he states.

Soon soon after, the officer tells the congregation to go away the developing and the church clears. It will become empty in minimal under five minutes.

The Metropolitan Police claimed in a statement that officers attended the church following responding to experiences of crowds lining up exterior.

Officers then identified “a big selection of folks inside of,” lots of of whom ended up not wearing masks or socially distancing, the statement mentioned. No penalties have been issued, the police added.

A agent of Polish Catholic Mission Balham wrote on their internet site Saturday that the police had “brutally exceeded their powers.”

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The assertion promises that the Metropolitan Police ended up misinformed on worship guidelines and advises all those in attendance on how to complain to authorities about the disruption.

“We regret that the rights of the devoted have been wronged on this sort of an important working day for every believer,” the parish added.

The Archbishop of Southwark, John Wilson, has considering the fact that frequented the church to focus on the incident, BBC News described.

The Rector of the Catholic Polish Mission, Stefan Wylezek, intends to get in touch with the Metropolitan Police to go over the handling of the predicament, Reuters claimed.

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