Christian Hacking, 29, was arrested by police after he was seen praying outside an abortion clinic in London earlier this year. - Met Police/Met Police

The country’s first arrest and prosecution for praying in public has collapsed following a bungling police investigation.

Christian Hacking, 29, was arrested by police after he was seen praying outside an abortion clinic in London earlier this year.

Mr Hacking, who uses a wheelchair after breaking his back during a climbing accident, was arrested and carried into a van by police officers after allegedly failing to comply with a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) outside a Marie Stopes abortion clinic in Ealing, west London.

The international charity, which supports women to have safe abortions, have criticised his “wilful non-compliance with the PSPO” and said that “nobody should face harassment” when accessing their services.

However the Christian Legal Centre (CLC), which represented Mr Hacking, said that police bodycam footage of officers “carrying a disabled man and his wheelchair to a riot van, simply for praying, is deeply disturbing”. It also criticised the waste of “vital police resources” after charges against him were dropped.

View photos Christian Hacking Credit: ./. More

The PSPO, put in place by Ealing Council in April 2018, was the first buffer zone surrounding an abortion clinic to be introduced in the UK. The exclusion zone, upheld by the Court of Appeal, bans a range of activities within 100m of the clinic - including outlawing prayer.

The PSPO states: ‘[people must not engage] in any act of approval/disapproval or attempted act of approval/disapproval, with respect to issues related to abortion services, by any means. This includes but is not limited to graphic, verbal or written means, prayer or counselling.’

Mr Hacking was arrested on August 8 and pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charge of failing to comply with the PSPO. This marked the first case in modern times of arrest and prosecution for praying and he was set to stand trial on November 5 at Uxbridge Magistrates Court.

However, the case collapsed. Although police warned Mr Hacking, who works part time for CBR UK (Center for Bio-Ethical Reform), an American pro-life organisation, they failed to caution him when they intended to arrest him. Instead, they only cautioned Mr Hacking when he was already in the police van.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) sent him a letter stating that the charges were being dropped because there was not ‘enough evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction’.

View photos Mr Hacking, who uses a wheelchair after breaking his back during a climbing accident, was arrested and carried into a van by police officers after allegedly failing to comply with a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) outside a Marie Stopes abortion clinic in Ealing, west London. Credit: Met Police/Met Police More

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