Wake up and have a laugh... it's free - for now

I believe in almost total free speech - as long as what you say doesn't incite violence or destruction of property, then as far as I am concerned you can say what you like.

Unfortunately, my belief is one held by an increasingly small number of people. It seems the worst thing that anyone can do these days is "give offence" - as nebulous a phrase as it is possible to conceive.

The latest to fall foul of "giving offence" is David Pratt of Cambridge who is facing an £80 fine for wearing a T-shirt (bought in Los Angeles by Mr Pratt's wife) bearing the slogan "Don't piss me off! I am running out of places to hide the bodies".

After an official complaint was made to the council, street wardens told Mr Pratt his T-shirt could cause offence or incite violence. He faces an on-the-spot fine from the police if he wears it again.

Using offensive, abusive, or insulting language is a criminal offence under Section 5 of the Public Order Act, even if it's printed on a T-shirt.

"It is not necessary for someone to have made an official complaint for the police to act, they just have to think it might offend a hypothetical third party, says criminal solicitor Louise Christian.

Please tell me how this could incite violence? The T-shirt did not advocate killing all Spurs supporters, for example.

A man was fined for wearing a T-shirt that said "Bollocks to Blair" - again under the Public Order Act. How? Is anyone suggesting that the T-shirt might incite someone to send/give/donate bollocks to Blair?

The T-shirts are meant to be a joke and it is about time society woke up and found again its sense of humour. No one ever died from laughter (well, apart from that man who did. He had a heart attack in 1975 while watching an episode of The Goodies about the martial art of Ecky Thump.)