TWO of Oxfordshire's proposed PSPOs have been selected in the top 20 worst orders in the UK by a think tank.

An FOI by the Manifesto Club showed that 130 PSPOs had been issued by 79 local authorities – including 9 bans on swearing, three bans on rough sleeping, and 12 bans on loitering or standing in groups.

They ranked Oxford City Council's plan to ban unauthorised mooring of boats, and noise and smoke from boats that causes annoyance as one of the worst PSPOs in the UK.

They also disliked Cherwell District Council's plans to ban drunkenness, sleeping rough and begging which its consultation will launch soon.

Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) – introduced in October 2014 under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act – allow councils to ban any activity they believe to have a ‘detrimental effect’ on the ‘quality of life’.

The group is arguing that the legislation needs to be scrapped or dramatically scaled back.