Flying kites in the street is illegal in London

The Short Answer

The Metropolitan Police Act 1839 explicitly penalizes any person who "shall fly any kite or play at any game to the annoyance of the inhabitants or passengers" in London thoroughfares. This Victorian-era law remains technically in force today.

The Full Story

While kite-flying is now viewed as a pastoral and harmless pastime, in the narrow, crowded streets of Victorian London, it presented a significant public safety risk. A kite flown in a thoroughfare could easily spook carriage horses—the primary mode of heavy transport—leading to runaway wagons, trampled pedestrians, and fatal accidents.

The law prioritized the free flow of traffic and the safety of "passengers" (pedestrians) over the leisure activities of children. The Metropolitan Police Act 1839 was enacted during the early years of Queen Victoria's reign to impose order on the chaotic, teeming streets of a rapidly industrializing London.

Remarkably, despite the passage of nearly two centuries, Section 60 of the Act remains largely in force. While rarely prosecuted today, the Act provides a useful "catch-all" for police to address low-level public nuisances.

Common Misconceptions

Many people assume this law has been repealed or is completely unenforced. Others think it applies to all kite flying in London, when it specifically targets street kite flying that causes obstruction or annoyance. Some believe it's purely ceremonial, but it remains technically enforceable law.

Actual Legal Text

Every person shall be liable to a penalty who flies any kite or plays at any game to the annoyance of the inhabitants or passengers, or who makes or uses any slide upon ice or snow in any street or other thoroughfare, to the common danger of the passengers.