Dressing as a sailor, flying kites illegal under Britain's oddest laws

London, Jan 25(ANI): A new report has found that there are a handful of strange offences, like walking home from a DIY shop with a ladder, dressing as a sailor or disturbing people by flying a kite, which are illegal in Britain under antique laws.

According to the Reader's Digest magazine, its illegal to attend a fancy dress party or stag night dressed as a sailor under the Seamen's and Soldiers' False Characters Act of 1906.

It says that the person could be committing an offence of trying to pass themselves off as a member of the armed forces, or in the words of the act, trying to "personate the holder of a certificate of service or discharge."

The offence carries a maximum penalty of a month in prison or 500 pounds fine.

Under Section 54 of the Metropolitan Police Act 1839, any person "who shall fly any kite or play at any game to the annoyance of the inhabitants or passengers" shall be liable for a fine of up to 500 pounds.

The report also suggests that people who took the recent Arctic weather as an excuse to have fun on London's pavements had been breaking the law, as those "who shall make or use any slide upon ice or snow in any street or other thoroughfare, to the common danger of the passengers" could receive the same fine, The Telegraph reports.

In the same act, it is an offence to carry a plank of wood on a pavement, while also making it unlawful to "roll or carry any cask, tub, hoop, or wheel, or any ladder, plank, pole, showboard, or placard, upon any footway, except for the purpose of loading or unloading any cart or carriage, or of crossing the footway", the report said.

The report further highlights that anyone who finds himself out of cash and asks a stranger for money, could be prosecuted under the Vagrancy Act 1824.

"Every person wandering abroad, or placing himself or herself in any public place, street, highway, court, or passage, to beg or gather alms" shall be deemed an idle and disorderly person within the true intent and meaning of this Act.

While, the offenders "shall be deemed an incorrigible rogue within the true meaning of this Act." (ANI)