To me locking the doors during a service is much more concerning to me as a fire risk more than anything else. I can't see how it could be best practice from a safeguarding perspective - fire is a much more likely risk than an intruder, and wouldn't having the doors locked impact insurance claims in case of a fire? Of course I understand people wanting to be more cautious after Southport and the synagogue attack etc, but locking the doors brings its own potential harm that simply keeping the doors closed with perhaps someone on duty just inside would not.
Our external doors all have crash bars - it is not possible to lock someone inside the church, because they can always open the door from the inside.
(We don't lock our doors during the service, but if we did, it wouldn't stop people leaving.)
Not anything recent, but in response to those who have mentioned that locking church doors during the service can be illegal: in 1954 my great uncle (who was vicar of a parish in rural Somerset) took as his second wife a Sunday school teacher (his first wife have died two years previously). He was 59 at the time and his bride was 22. As the local newspaper article (which I still have)relates: he told his congregation "I do not want people coming to the service out of idle curiosity" and shortly before the service a notice appeared on the church gate, signed by the churchwardens, saying that the wedding service was for ticket holders only and the doors would be locked during the service.
However the bishop of Bath &Wells, who was officiating at the wedding, pointed out that locking the doors would be illegal and so the notice was taken down.
The couple were happy, by all accounts, and remained married until his death thirty years later.
Comments
Our external doors all have crash bars - it is not possible to lock someone inside the church, because they can always open the door from the inside.
(We don't lock our doors during the service, but if we did, it wouldn't stop people leaving.)
However the bishop of Bath &Wells, who was officiating at the wedding, pointed out that locking the doors would be illegal and so the notice was taken down.
The couple were happy, by all accounts, and remained married until his death thirty years later.