Wirral Council has announced plans to scrap a 90-year-old bylaw that bans activities such as carpet beating, 'wanton singing', and sounding a noisy trumpet along a stretch of Merseyside coast. The 1935 bylaw also prohibits cycling on a 3.7-mile stretch from Meols to New Brighton, which has since become a popular cycling route.
Other forbidden activities under the archaic law include inciting a dog to bark, making a violent outcry, and building structures such as booths, tents, or swings. Offenders could have faced a fine of £5 in 1935, equivalent to about £300 today.
Council documents state that the restrictions are 'outdated and no longer suitable' and are already covered by other legal acts. The council noted that the law had the unintended consequence of preventing the erection of public information signs for cyclists, as cycling was technically unlawful.
Councillor Paul Martin expressed support for the change, joking that the ban on sounding trumpets had been 'holding New Brighton back as a resort for as long as I can remember.' He admitted he was unaware carpet beating was outlawed, but said he had never done it anyway.
While the bylaw will be repealed, local officials warned that activities such as making a violent outcry or sounding a noisy trumpet could still lead to prosecution under the Public Order Act. The council is now required to hold a public consultation before scrapping the restrictions, which were previously subject to government approval until 2011.
