The 'byelaws for the good rule and government of the City of Leeds’ was made for the "prevention of nuisances" by the Council of the City in pursuance of Section 235 of the Local Government Act 1972.
From cleaning mud off your vehicle before hitting the road to restrictions on making noise near homes, churches and hospitals, the laws cover some rather unexpected situations.
Some sound particularly unusual by modern standards – including one specifically dealing with bulls being led through the city and another concerning the sale of contraceptives from street-facing slot machines.
We’ve taken a look through the council’s official list of byelaws and picked out 11 of the weirdest rules still listed today.
7. Causing annoyance with a gramophone
Between the hours of 8am and 9pm, it's prohibited to play a gramophone in a public place if the noise is "so continuous or repeated as to give reasonable cause for annoyance to other persons" | Adobe Stock
8. Loitering at church doors
The bylaws state that no one should persistently loiter near the entrance of a church if it annoys or obstructs anyone going into it. | James Hardisty
9. Playing music near churches
The law states that "no person shall sound or play upon any musical or noisy instrument or sing in any street or public place within 100 metres of any place of public worship" - if asked to stop by a constable or anyone who is annoyed or disturbed by the music | Adobe Stock
10. Shouting at night
Shouting in any street between the hours of 11pm and 6am is strictly banned if it disturbs or annoys residents | Adobe Stock
11. Shooting galleries
The bylaws state: "No person shall in any street or public place, or on any land adjoining or near to any street or public place, keep or manage, or cause to be kept or managed, a shooting-gallery, swing-boat, roundabout, or any other construction of a like character, so as to cause obstruction or danger to the traffic in such street or public place." | Adobe Stock