The sight of Tom Cruise descending from a helicopter in a charming British market town would typically ignite excitement among the locals. However, the people of East Grinstead have reached their limit.

When the 63-year-old Mission: Impossible actor touched down in October, he wasn’t met with the usual flurry of camera flashes or autograph seekers. Instead, his arrival sparked controversy, as residents took issue with his “low” flying entrance.

The Hollywood star was greeted by a group of chanting protesters brandishing placards. Cruise’s visit was in connection with the Church of Scientology, where he is a prominent figure, as he attended the organization’s red carpet Patrons Ball at its expansive British headquarters, Saint Hill Manor.

This annual star-studded fundraising event drew a crowd of 7,000 people to the small town in West Sussex, according to church figures. In an attempt to drown out the protesters, Scientologists resorted to playing loud bagpipe music.

This tactic prompted a complaint to the Mid Sussex District Council from a disgruntled local, which could potentially jeopardize the church’s licenses for alcohol and events.

It saw Scientologists blasting out bagpipe music in an attempt to drown out the protesters. The antic led to one local complaining to Mid Sussex District Council, which could see the church lose its booze and events permits. 

The application for the review claims the fundraising event causes ‘considerable disruption’ to the local community by causing congestion and excessively loud noise.

It asks the council to consider limiting the scale of events held on the property and proposes measures to safeguard vulnerable people.

The organisation said residents and ‘town and district councillors’ were on the guest list alongside Cruise. It was lauded as a ‘resounding success’, but not for locals who have grown fed up with East Grinstead being dubbed Britain’s ‘Twin Peaks’. 

The town’s relationship with Scientology has been a fractious one since science fiction writer and the church’s founder L Ron Hubbard bought the Grade II-listed manor home in 1959. 

Tom Cruise enraged locals in East Grinstead in October with his ‘low’ flying entry to the quaint market town as he arrived for the Church of Scientology’s annual Patrons Ball 

The Hollywood actor, 63, was among the 7,000 people who had gathered at the church’s British headquarters for the annual bash

The three-day fundraiser took place at the Church of Scientology’s sprawling country estate at Saint Hill Manor (pictured) 

Every year, protesters – made up largely of locals and a few former Scientologists – say the fundraiser brings heavy traffic and noise that disrupts people’s lives.

But the reminders of the org’s presence in East Grinstead are constant throughout the year. 

There are claims that Scientologists have been spotted carrying out ‘recruitment campaigns’ on the high street and putting pamphlets in charity shops.

The church recently batted away suggestions by one local in a report by The Guardian that it had been preaching on a bus, saying it ‘is just not something we do’.

Diane Juchau told the newspaper she often sees the church’s followers outside Sainsbury’s ‘wearing their black suits with the red tie’.

Meanwhile, the church made a request for a Public Space Protection Order in July 2024, saying protests held outside its premises caused ‘harassment, disturbance and alarm’ to its members.

Mid Sussex District Council’s cabinet was due to make a decision – recommended for refusal – on June 30 about whether to put a PSPO in place. The church withdrew the application.

Former Scientologist Alexander Barnes-Ross, 30, led the recent protest group wearing a medieval knight’s costume adorned with the St George’s flag. 

Former Scientologist Alexander Barnes-Ross, 30, led the recent protest group wearing a medieval knight’s costume adorned with the St George’s flag

Mr Barnes-Ross told the Daily Mail that locals are ‘extremely frustrated and angered’ by being ‘inundated by thousands of Scientologists travelling to attend this event’

Former mayor of East Grinstead, Frazer Visser, right, met Tom Cruise at the Mission: Impossible premiere in Leicester Square in July 2023

He told the Daily Mail that locals are ‘extremely frustrated and angered’ by being ‘inundated by thousands of Scientologists travelling to attend this event, and Tom Cruise flying in on his helicopter’. 

‘It causes a lot of noise and nuisance and he [Tom Cruise], you know, doesn’t stop for photos or anything,’ he said. 

‘He flies in, he attends this event, probably donates a large sum of money, and then flies out again, and the town gets absolutely nothing in return. A couple of charities might get a £50,000 donation, but that’s about it.’ 

The Church of Scientology says in the last 10 years it has raised more than £2million for local causes, including hospitals, and more than 6,500 residents have attended its events since October.

One resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, described the fundraiser as ‘very disruptive’.

He said: ‘For six to eight weeks they were laying down pallets in the field to make a car park, so we had the disruption and noise of that, with lorry after lorry coming.

‘Then they made all the neighbours listen to bagpipe music on a loop all day. In the evening, they had two generators to power floodlights in the car park, and we could hear the generator no more than 60 yards from our back door.

‘One didn’t go off until 1am and the second generator stayed on all night, so all night an empty car park was lit up.

‘I’m tolerant – I don’t have religion but don’t object to others having it. Scientology say they’ve cleaned up their act, but they still have the same boss, and I don’t really believe they have changed their spots.’

Protesters gather at the Church of Scientology’s headquarters in East Grinstead during the org’s annual fundraiser 

The Church of Scientology is currently led by its controversial leader David Miscavige (pictured in Perth, Australia, in 2018)

Tom Cruise (pictured in 2004) is the Church of Scientology’s ‘poster child’ and its most famous member. The voice of Bart Simpson, Nancy Cartwright, and John Travolta also have links to the church

Much of the town’s discontent is claims that local dignitaries are becoming unlikely bedfellows with their Scientologist neighbours.  

Yoga teacher and former East Grinstead mayor Julie Mockford was pictured ‘just chillin’ with her ‘pal’ Tom Cruise on a Mission: Impossible film set in 2018.

While another former mayor, Frazer Visser, was pictured with Cruise in 2023. 

‘I had the unforgettable experience of attending the premiere of Tom Cruise’s newest Mission: Impossible film in Leicester Square, along with some previous mayors,’ he said.

There is no suggestion Ms Mockford and Mr Visser did any wrong by attending.  

A Daily Mail investigation in 2024 established that the Scientologists had certainly become involved in the affairs of local politicians in East Grinstead to a considerable degree.

Local council representatives have attended a number of Scientology events; the church’s controversial leader David Miscavige has been given a guided tour of council offices; the local fire service had been using the Scientologists’ headquarters for training and was offered £50,000 by the church; and the Scientologists were involved in running East Grinstead’s Christmas lights switch-on ceremony as well as a celebration for the Coronation of King Charles.

The links have raised eyebrows in the local community, with Mr Barnes-Ross saying it is making people feel ‘helpless’.  

He said: ‘The [Patrons Ball] event is a big, chaotic thing that sort of gridlocks all the roads and so on. But I think just over the years, East Grinstead has grown to be fed up with this cult in their town, building inroads with the local politicians, and the mayor and councillors and such going to events and saying how wonderful this organisation is and when actually they aren’t. 

‘[The Church of Scientology] has lots of events throughout the year that cause different levels of disruption. And I think just the fact that they have no due regard for the local authority or the local community has really annoyed people.’  

The Daily Mail has contacted the Church of Scientology for comment.       

Cruise is not the only high-profile member of the church. The voice of Bart Simpson, Nancy Cartwright, and Grease actor John Travolta are linked to the organisation.

Lisa Marie Presley, who died aged 54 in 2023, spoke out about her time in the Church of Scientology in her memoir, which was released posthumously. 

‘Scientology actually helped,’ she wrote, before adding: ‘The church felt radical in an exciting way − it didn’t feel like an organized religion, really. It attracted cool, unusual, artistic people. It became my tribe.’

She left the church around 2014.