22 Bizarre Laws That Are Still Valid In The U.K.

Our LifeDaily team was surprised to discover recently that there are some very weird laws in the America that are still on the statute book.

For example, did you know that in Vermont, women must obtain written permission from their husbands to wear false teeth? Or that in Oxford, Ohio, it is still illegal for a woman to undress in front of a picture of a man?

This made us curious about similar bizarre laws in other countries, so we firstly decided to check up on our British cousins.

Perhaps we should have guessed that they also have their fair share of odd laws.

Here are a few examples:

1. Royal Navy ships that enter the Port of London must provide a barrel of rum to the Constable of the Tower of London.
2. In England, it is illegal for a cab in the City of London to carry rabid dogs or corpses.
3. In England, it is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British monarch upside down.
4. In the UK, a pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants – even, if she so requests, in a policeman’s helmet.
5. Under the UK’s Tax Avoidance Schemes Regulations 2006, it is illegal not to tell the taxman anything you don’t want him to know, though you don’t have to tell him anything you don’t mind him knowing.
6. In England, it is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament.
7. In Lancashire, no person is permitted after being asked to stop by a constable on the seashore to incite a dog to bark.
8. In Chester, Welshmen are banned from entering the city before sunrise and from staying after sunset.
9. In the UK, all men over the age of 14 must carry out two hours of longbow practice a day.
10. In Britain, in 1888, a law was passed which stated that every cyclist had to constantly ring the bell on his bicycle non-stop while the machine was moving.
11. In Birmingham, England, it is illegal for a man and a woman to have sex on church steps after sundown.
12. In London, England, it is illegal to impersonate a Chelsea pensioner which once carried the death sentence in the 19th century.
13. In London, Freemen are allowed to take a flock of sheep across London Bridge without being charged a toll; they are also allowed to drive geese down Cheapside.
14. In the UK, a man who feels compelled to urinate in public can do so only if he aims for his rear wheel and keeps his right hand on his vehicle.
15. In the city of York, it is legal to murder a Scotsman within the ancient city walls, but only if he is carrying a bow and arrow.
16. In London, it is illegal to flag down a taxi if you have the plague.
17. In London, England, it is illegal to use a camera tripod, throw a stick for your dog or use an offensive powder like pepper on your jacket potato in any park.
18. In London, England, wife beating is legal just as long as it is not after 9pm and it doesn’t disturb the neighbours.
19. The head of any dead whale found on the British coast is legally the property of the King; the tail, on the other hand, belongs to the Queen – in case she needs the bones for her corset.
20. In England, in 1865, a law was passed stating that any self propelled carriage on an English highway had to have a crew of three, one of whom had to walk in front of the carriage with a red flag to warn horse drawn vehicles of it’s approach.
21. In England, in 1837, a law was passed that entitled a woman to bite off a man’s nose if he kissed her against her will!
22. In London, England, there is still a law that states London Taxi cabs must carry a bale of hay at all times.

As you can see, the British have some laws that are even more ridiculous that those in the U.S.

Have you ever broken any of these laws? Were you punished for doing so?

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