For people who like to swear there’s one place in England you may want to avoid. Sweary people visiting Salford in Greater Manchester will need to be on their best behaviour as using “foul and abusive language” could leave them with a penalty notice of £90 ($127) or a summons to appear in court, where, if convicted they could end up with a £1000 ($1414) fine.
In an emailed statement sent to Mashable, Salford Council says they’ve also prohibited people from throwing objects at anyone without their consent, interfering with any life-saving equipment and throwing wheelie bins in the water.
They also added that the new order “was introduced by the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014,” and has been around since August last year.
Some have questioned what the words “foul and abusive,” actually mean.
Campaign Group Liberty said “the order could have a chilling effect on freedom of expression,” reports the Manchester Evening News, especially on football fans who travel to the area for match days.
However the council says the ban will help give police more powers in combatting anti-social behaviour by granting them “another tool to use against anyone causing a nuisance.”
The Manchester Evening News says Liberty has requested clarification on some points which include, the difference between language that is foul and language that is abusive and what legal test will be carried out if there is no one present to hear.