It is
commonly known that there are some laws in the UK that are considered outdated
and old fashioned, and slowly, over time, these are being overturned. But,
there are some really strange laws out there, ones that we have probably
already broken! Luckily, these laws are not the most pressing to be policed.
Cleaning your doormat
According to
section 60 of the Metropolitan Police Act of 1839, it is an offence to beat and
clean a doormat in the street after 8am. So, for those who do want to give
their doormat a good dusting, they will have to get up at the crack of dawn to
do so - unless they want a £500 fine!
Suspicious Salmon
Apparently,
it is illegal to handle salmon in a ‘suspicious circumstance’. You would think
that this may be a law from the days of yore. But actually, this was from the
1986 Salmon Act, which was put in place to regulate salmon fishing in the UK.
Of course, this does sound strange at first, as how could you handle salmon
suspiciously? The law then goes on to say that it is put in place for people to
keep an eye out if salmon is being fished illegally, as the offender may be
acting suspiciously in the process of fishing and disposing of the salmon.
Poor Polish Potatoes
Another
unusual law that has recently been put in place was the Polish Potatoes Order
in 2004. It became illegal to import polish potatoes into the UK due to the
outbreak of ring rot in Poland. If you were planning on importing polish
potatoes there is a stringent application process as well as a ring rot test
certificate that needs to be provided.
Illegal Drunkness in a Pub
The British
pub is a classic staple of society, a place where it is acceptable to convene
any day of the week. From pints to peanuts, it is an anglo experience that not
many other places can replicate. Yet, despite many of us choosing to get merry
down the local with our friends, it is actually against the law to be drunk.
According to Section 12 of the Licensing Act in 1872, every person found drunk
in a public place, whether a building or licensed premises would be fined up to
£200.
Puppy Love
If you are
trying to think of new ways to get yourself into the Royal Family, especially
after Prince Harry and Williams marriages, don’t enlist the help of your
beloved pet. It turns our that allowing your pet to mate with a royal pet
without the families permission is a punishable offence! So, keep your precious
pooch away from those corgis.
We hope you
have enjoyed reading and learning about these five unusual laws in the UK.
Though we may not be able to assist with cases concerning these, at Hawley and
Rodgers we have a range of expert lawyers based in Nottingham that can handle a
variety of cases from family law to wills and commercial law. You can contact us today to see how we can help you.
