Dog bites, gang attacks and beatings in church, all in the life a 21st Century vicar They were collated by the social think-tank Parliament Street in an attempt to highlight the often unseen sacrifice of Christian leaders. It is calling for the Government to consider recognising attack on members of the clergy as a religiously motivated hate crime, potentially carrying more severe penalties. It follows the murder last year of the Rev John Suddards, who was stabbed to death at his vicarage in Thornbury, near Bristol, by Stephen Farrow who was also later jailed for the murder of Betty Yates, 77, a retired teacher from Bewdley in Worcestershire. Rev Suddards had been known for his open door policy and had even spoken from the pulpit about how his ministry could involve taking risks. It was noted after his death that he always kept a lamp burning at his vicarage when he was in as a sign that he was available for parishioners. But the crime reports show that such risks are far from unheard-of. In most cases the crimes are recorded simply as assault, either ABH or GBH, but some give brief but startling details. A note by Hertfordshire Police of an incident in Rickmansworth in 2011 records that the victims was a "church minister" before recounting simply: "Offender approached the Injured Party and bit fingers." A record from July of this year tells how another minister, in Goffs Oak, Herts, challenged a motorcyclist who had crashed into a parked car and was attempting to leaving in what was a hit-and-run incident. He ended up chasing the man but was then "struck on the back with a wooden object, causing the Injured party to fall over. A note from Lincolnshire Police provides a list of attacks with few details but technical notes state baldly that one case of "assault with injury" in 2010 involved a priest having a dog set on them. It mentions that a case of harassment against another pries the following year was a "breach of restraining order." Elsewhere the list mentions a lay preacher who was in church in April last year when an attacker crept up behind them, pulled at their lapel and grabbed them by the face. Leicestershire Police records include references to a handful of unprovoked attacks on clergy in public as well as a note of one in July 2011 who was pelted with stones by a gang of youths he had come across trespassing on church property. Other cases involve intimidation or harassment rather than physical violence. But because attacks on clergy are not specifically recorded as a separate category, the records give only a glimpse of the scale of attacks Britain's clergy face. Clare George-Hilley, director of Parliament Street said: "These shocking findings are a mere snapshot of the very real attacks made on Christian leaders across the country, which are all too often overlooked. It is totally unacceptable that people who dedicate their lives to supporting communities and improving lives are subjected to harassment, abuse and violent assaults in modern Britain. The Government has the opportunity to take steps to classify assaults on clergyman as a religious hate crime, sending a clear signal that faith can be practised freely and that it is protecting the people that make up the pillars of British communities. A Church of England Spokesman said: "The men and women who serve as clergy in the Church of England are both leaders and servants to their churches and communities. Many have forsaken financial reward and other benefits to be priests and have done so willingly as part of their vocation and calling. They are often the subject of vilification for serving in the name of Christ, and largely bear such comments with good humour. However as these figures show they also bear the brunt of more vicious and brutal attack. The changing nature of the debate around faith, with its increasing intolerance and stridency serves as an unhelpful backdrop to a rise in such attacks.