Teenager charged with ‘threats to kill’ over disturbance at Sikh temple

Police say the disturbance at Sri Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdware temple in Gravesend was an ‘isolated’ event

Police cars near Siri Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara temple in Gravesend following Thursday’s disturbance (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)

A teenager has been charged with “threats to kill” over a disturbance at a Sikh temple.

The 17-year-old was charged over the incident at the Sri Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara temple in Gravesend on Thursday evening.

Kent Police had been called to a report of a disturbance inside the temple and two women were assaulted outside at 8.10pm.

“Officers attended the scene where a local teenage boy was arrested,” Kent Police said in a statement on Saturday morning. “Nobody was seriously injured during the incident and the constables recovered a bladed weapon.”

They added that a 17-year-old boy had since been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, using or threatening unlawful violence, threats to kill, threatening a person with a bladed weapon and possessing a bladed article in a public place.

Chief Superintendent Angie Chapman said the incident was being treated as isolated but that police patrols will remain in the area for reassurance.

Lauren Sullivan, the MP for Gravesham, said at the time that she was “shocked and saddened by the incident”.

“My thoughts are with those hurt, their family, and their community,” she said.

“I would like to thank the emergency services for their swift response to this awful event.

“Full details are still emerging and there are many rumours running about, so it is right that we let the emergency services deal with the situation and complete their investigation and release the information as they can.”

Security minister Dan Jarvis also posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he was being updated about the attack, adding: “All communities must be safe in their places of worship.”