JESUS FELLOWSHIP BANNED FROM SKEGNESS SEAFRONT

Source : 17/07/1995 Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Religious group The Jesus Fellowship has been snubbed by a seaside council.

The Nether Heyford-based Fellowship wanted to site a publicity coach at Skegness seafront but the request was thrown out by councillors.

A spokesman for the group has criticised the decision, claiming it was based on misinformation.

The application went before a meeting of East Lindsey District Council. It was recommended for approval by the council's head of tourism Bob Suich but was overwhelmingly rejected by councillors.

At the meeting, Councillor John Hough maintained that the group had been the subject of adverse publicity in the national press.

He said: 'I have no evidence myself, but there has been controversy about the way it deals with its followers.'

Asked if he had more information about the group, Mr Suich told the meeting: 'I don't know a great deal about them.'

John Campbell, of the Fellowship was surprised and unhappy with comments made at the meeting.

He said: 'It is obviously based on misinformation and there are no grounds for the sorts of comments made by Coucillor Hough.'

'The Fellowship is an evangelical Christian church and it is a great pity that this was rejected when they admitted they had no evidence and did not know a great deal about the church.'

The application to site the publicity coach was part of the church's tour of Britain. The fellowship is aiming to visit every town and city in the UK over the next three years.