Veils

[Steeplekeepe]

Am I right in thinking that it is an offence to be abroad with the face covered? Vagrancy Act of 18?? I think.

[Ethel]

No.

If this was the case then the police would have made arrests, the tabloids would be shouting for the police to arrest and the BNP/NF would also be using it to stir up the usual diatribe.

Full face helmets would be illegal, as would balaclavas which men and children wore right up until the second world war and after.

It would have been used to arrest and detain IRA sympathisers in Ulster and the UK.

And brides.

:)

[Grunty]

Depending on the circumstances, there could be an offence of going equipped for theft under the Theft Acts. There would need to be intent, so it would be a complete defence to a charge to say that it was done for the purposes of religion or fashion.

The Vagrancy Act 1824 was introduced mainly to cover offences of begging when ex-soldiers had been discharged from the army. They had suffered appalling injuries at Waterloo, including mislaid arms and legs. But it was upsetting for respectable people to be asked for money for these men to feed their families with.