Police in the UK have arrested and charged a Christian street preacher for expressing his religious beliefs about homosexual conduct.

Dale Mcalpine, of Workington in Cumbria, appeared before a court last Friday and pleaded not guilty to breaching section 5 of the Public Order Act.

Mr Mcalpine is being supported by The Christian Institute, a leading national defender of Christian religious liberty.

He insists that he never spoke about homosexuality during his public sermon on April 20th after which he was arrested.

Mr Mcalpine claims that two Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) approached him and one identified himself as a homosexual.

According to Mr Mcalpine, that PCSO warned him not to say homosexual conduct is “sinful” because it would be a crime.

The PCSO also identified himself as a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender liaison officer.

Mr Mcalpine told the PCSO that it is not a crime to describe same-sex practice as a “sin”.

Mr Mcalpine was later arrested after police officers arrived on the scene. He was held in a police cell before being charged with causing “harassment, alarm or distress” contrary to Section 5 of the public order act.

Sam Webster, a lawyer for The Christian Institute says that expressing the belief that homosexual conduct is a sin is not a criminal offence under UK law.

“A Christian who stands in a public place and expresses his religious beliefs in the hope of persuading passers-by of his views – that is freedom of speech.

“Yes, the police have a duty to maintain public order but they also have a duty to defend the lawful free speech of citizens. It’s not for police to decide whether Mr Mcalpine’s views are right or wrong.

“Case law has ruled that the orthodox Christian belief that homosexual conduct is sinful is a belief worthy of respect in a democratic society.”

In November last year, the Government was defeated in Parliament over its attempt to repeal a free speech safeguard to a law against ‘sexual orientation hatred’.

The safeguard, introduced by former Home Secretary Lord Waddington, makes clear that criticising homosexual conduct, or encouraging someone to refrain from such conduct, is not in itself a crime.

The Labour party has vowed to remove the free speech protection if it wins the next general election.