Overview
- Pastor Mick Fleming says an officer approached him at a petrol station on 27 October and advised that his John 3:16 sign could be viewed as hate speech if someone complained.
- Lancashire Police say they have no record of the encounter, would not classify the verse as hate speech, and invited Fleming to contact them so they can review it.
- Fleming describes the conversation as friendly and advisory rather than part of an investigation, and he says he will keep the Scripture on his campervan.
- UK law generally protects public display of religious text, with potential criminal scrutiny limited to speech that is threatening or intended to stir up hatred on protected grounds.
- No complaint or enforcement action has been reported, and attention to the episode stems from Fleming’s video account and his profile as a local pastor and charity worker.