Local councils ramp up bizarre bans, turning citizens into unwitting criminals

A new report reveals that over 90% of local councils in England and Wales have introduced public spaces protection orders (PSPOs), originally intended to tackle serious anti-social behavior, but are now being used to criminalize a wide range of everyday activities.

Swearing, shouting, flying flags: the new crime landscape

According to the Campaign for Freedom in Everyday Life, councils have banned swearing under these orders, affecting roughly one in five local authorities compared to just one in 20 in 2022.

PSPO penalties are skyrocketing, with 25,000 fines issued in 2025 alone. Private enforcement companies, incentivized by pay-per-fine structures, account for 75% of these penalties, set to rise from £100 to £500 when the crime and policing bill is passed.

The report highlights bizarre bans such as standing in groups, intentionally shouting or screaming (Guildford), picking up rocks (Torbay), and foraging for blackberries (Richmond upon Thames and Rugby).

In Bury, 17-year-old busker Charlie Wilson was handcuffed for performing in public, despite onlookers' enthusiastic support. A Leicester activist faced fines for flying a flag or campaigning without council permission, a process deemed impossible to navigate.

The Campaign's director, Josie Appleton, warns that councils are using PSPOs to introduce over 1,000 new laws, each containing dozens of restrictions without democratic or legal scrutiny. Officers' discretion is vast, allowing them to declare almost any behavior a criminal offense.

One council prohibits sitting or loitering