Knock and run: still a London offence
An 1839 law still bans it in London. The rest of England scrapped its version in 2015.
- The law
- London street offences, 1839
- What it says
- In London it is still an offence to ring a doorbell or knock on a door and run away, to fly a kite in the street if it annoys people, to slide on the ice if it puts others in danger, or to carry a ladder or plank along the pavement (unless you're loading, unloading or crossing).
- Why it's out of date
- It was written for a city of gas lamps and handcarts. In 2015 Parliament scrapped the matching offences for the rest of England and Wales, but left London's in place. The rules are rarely used, and most of what still matters is covered by newer, clearer law.
- A better version
- Give London the same tidy-up the rest of England and Wales got in 2015: keep the parts that protect people, repeal the rest.
- Status
- PROPOSED
Explore the detail
Metropolitan Police Act 1839, section 54, in force in the Metropolitan Police District. Paragraph 16: wilfully and wantonly disturbing any inhabitant by ringing a doorbell or knocking at a door without lawful excuse. Paragraph 17: flying a kite "to the annoyance of the inhabitants or passengers", and making or using an ice slide "to the common danger". Paragraph 8: carrying a ladder, plank, pole, showboard or placard on the footway, except for loading, unloading or crossing. Maximum penalty: level 2 on the standard scale. The equivalent items in the Town Police Clauses Act 1847, section 28, were omitted for England and Wales on 26 May 2015 by the Deregulation Act 2015, section 115(3)(r) and Schedule 23, paragraph 45.
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Last checked 9 Oct 2026. Corrections: Corrections policy · Archive