TWO controversial banning orders proposed in Oxfordshire have been named among the worst in the country by a civil liberties group.

The Manifesto Club warned the 'public spaces protection orders' or PSPOs – proposed in Oxford and Banbury – were among several set to create "bizarre new criminal offences".

The rules are underpinned by laws introduced by the Government in October 2014, which allow councils to ban activities they say have a "detrimental effect" on public life.

Oxford City Council's plan to ban excessive noise, smoke and unauthorised mooring of boats from the city's waterways was singled out in a list of 20, along with Cherwell District Council's proposal to ban drunkenness, sleeping rough and begging from Banbury.

But the London-based Manifesto Club – which has previously campaigned on leafletting bans, dispersal powers and ID checks – branded the PSPOs a "busybodies’ charter" and called for them to scrapped or dramatically scaled back.

The group claims existing laws already cover the same areas as PSPOs and is encouraging people to hold protests against them across the country this weekend.

Criticising the Oxford order, which could also restrict the number of dogs people are allowed to walk at once, it added: "The waterways of Oxford are hardly a den of criminal iniquity – they are calm, pleasant, albeit a little ramshackle, which is nice.

"The measure will do nothing to target crime, but it will be very successful at squeezing elements of character and spontaneity out of city life."

The waterways PSPO in Oxford would cover the River Thames, the Cherwell and Oxford Canal, banning people from mooring boats at riverbanks without the landowner's permission, obstructing paths or the waterways, putting up structures or leaving rubbish and failing to control dogs.

A group has also been formed by local boaters to fight the new proposed rule, called PSPnO, who say the order would criminalise "normal and necessary boating activities".

In an address to councillors last month at a meeting in Oxford Town Hall, spokeswoman Sharyn Hyde said the order was "shortsighted, unworkable and likely to increase problems on Oxford’s waterways".

It comes after the city council previously issued a PSPO covering the city centre that banned anti-social behaviour, which was criticised by civil rights group Liberty.

The local authority said it had issued 217 advice sheets and one fixed penalty notice, for illegal street trading, since introducing it in February.

Dee Sinclair, city council executive board member for community safety, added: "The city centre PSPO was introduced in February 2016 to stop a range of behaviours, including urinating or defecating in a public place, aggressive begging and cycling in pedestrianised zones.

"The purpose of the PSPOs has always been to set minimum standards of behaviour when entering an area and act as a deterrent."

It is understood the PSPO is likely to be discussed again by senior councillors in October. The city council declined to comment further.