A filmmaker has claimed that he was kicked out of a Catford church on 'suspicion of being a burglar.'

Liam Barnes, of Fordel Road, wandered into the Brownhill Road Baptist Church on Friday morning after shooting footage for a campaign to make the street safer for pedestrians.

But the 54-year-old, who has long had an interest in church architecture, said he was met by a “grumpy church warden” who suggested he may have “dishonest motives.”

Mr Barnes said: “The church was open and there was a guy sitting there who asked me what I wanted and who I was.

“I told him I just wanted to have a look at the church as I had always been fascinated by churches and he asked me to leave saying a lot of people claim to be interested in them and then break in.”

Mr Barnes said he questioned the warden but wanted to avoid confrontation in the church.

He added: “It’s the first time since I’ve been into a church and asked to leave like that and to be honest it wasn’t nice. It made me feel quite uncomfortable actually.

“I thought God’s house was always open.”

Brownhill Road Baptist Church Pastor Reverend Michael Kendall said: "That morning a member of the public entered our church front door without appointment, did not identify himself and was holding camera equipment. 

"The church member at the door was waiting by appointment for a business representative and therefore could not let this member of the public go beyond our lobby into our church's main area."