Man accuses Broad Street church congregations of 'shoving Christianity into resident's faces'

Father-of-two Alex Sherman, of Cockney Hill, said he often travels to the town centre at weekends to take his two daughters, aged three and nine, out shopping and to lunch at The Oracle.

But the self-employed plumber said the threesome often get stopped by what he has dubbed the “God Squad” who have on one occasion last week made his youngest daughter cry when a preacher pushed a booklet in her face so hard it made her nose bleed.

The 29-year-old said: “The guy was really apologetic because I know it was only a mistake but it made me livid.

“She was really hurt by it and I could have throttled all of them.”

He added: “All we wanted to do was have a nice day together, just the three of us, but it was ruined by the God Squad and them quite literally shoving their religious beliefs in our faces.”

Mr Sherman is considering starting a petition against the distributors who are said to take to Broad Street with a giant crucifix on a weekly basis.

He said: “All I want to do is get from one end of Broad Street to another and not have religion shoved in my face. I’m an atheist by choice and I don’t go around forcing my views on everyone.

“They always seem to target you at the weekends as well, when you’re with your family enjoying a day out. I just don’t understand why the council can’t just get rid of them because everyone moans about them and by now they must have got enough complaints from the public to be able to move them on.”

A Reading Borough Council spokesman said: ““Reading UK CIC - which manages access arrangements to Broad Street on behalf of the Council - would advise any organisation, charity or community group that wants to use the town centre to raise awareness of their organisation to contact them to ensure that it can be managed in a way that is beneficial for all.

“The council will respond to any concerns regarding these activities and may monitor them in terms of noise and nuisance.”