Extra £5m pledged for patrolling places of worship

6 hours ago

News image — Patrols are funded to protect synagogues, mosques, churches and all other religious sites

kelvinjay/Getty Images a close-up of a police vest in the foreground, as a blurred group of people with placards and a group of police officers are gathered outside a building in the background — Patrols are funded to protect synagogues, mosques, churches and all other religious sites

Police in London and Manchester are to be given an extra £5m to pay for more patrols around places of worship, the Home Office has said.

Security minister Dan Jarvis said the money would help "keep people safe in the places where they live, work and worship".

The funding uplift follows an alleged arson attack in Golders Green, north-west London, where four Jewish community ambulances were set alight last month, a terror attack on a synagogue in Manchester last October and calls to tackle rising Islamophobia.

It will go towards Project Servator deployments, involving specialist officers who are trained to spot suspects who might be preparing to commit serious crimes.

Jarvis said: "At a time of heightened concern for some communities, it is vital that we step up our support.

"Project Servator has a proven track record of stopping criminals and terrorists through highly visible, unpredictable deployments that vary in time and location, deterring those planning harm and reassuring the public.

"This new funding will back the police with the resources they need to step up patrols, protect communities, and keep people safe in the places where they live, work and worship."

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According to the Home Office, previous Project Servator deployments have involved both visible uniformed and plain-clothed officers.

They have led to arrests and seized drugs and weapons.

The new effort, which builds on £73.4m already committed for protective security at Jewish, Muslim and other faith sites for 2026-27, will initially focus on policing in communities, particularly faith communities, across London and Manchester.

Greater Manchester Police Inspector Chris Hadfield said: "This additional funding strengthens our commitment to Project Servator and will allow us the opportunity to expand the work we do in disrupting criminal activity."

Met Police Cdr Andy Featherstone said: "Hate crime, of any kind, has no place in our communities and we take all reports incredibly seriously."

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