A GROUP that campaigns against excessive red tape has spoken out against Oxford City Council’s plans to introduce on-the-spot fines for antisocial behaviour in the city centre.

The Manifesto Club said the council’s plans to ban some begging and busking, street drinking and feeding pigeons were an infringement of people’s human rights.

The bans come under the proposed Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), which the council says will address “activities taking place that are or may likely be detrimental to the local community’s quality of life”.

Manifesto Club director Josie Appleton said: “We’re not happy with the law as a whole because it gives the council a blank cheque to ban anything.

“They should be focussing on actual crimes. It will kill the life of the city.”

The council’s consultation finishes today and, if implemented, the PSPO would see those who breach the order given £100 fines.