Feeding the birds, blackberry foraging and picking up stones are among everyday activities banned by town halls accused of 'abusing' sweeping powers.

A report has found that Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) - originally designed to tackle serious anti-social behaviour - are being used to 'criminalise' a wide range of everyday activities.

They also include 'intentionally shouting or screaming', 'catcalling, staring or leering', standing around in groups and busking.

Among the more bizarre 'Orwellian' restrictions was against feeding birds.

Thirteen councils said they had PSPOs in force curbing this everyday activity - a restriction that led to a woman being arrested and fined £100 under a PSPO for feeding pigeons in Harrow, north London, in January.

In Bury, 17-year-old Charlie Wilson - a Britain's Got Talent contestant - was handcuffed by police last year for busking while using amplified equipment under a PSPO, despite members of the public gathering to watch and enjoy his performance.

In Leicester, a socialist political campaigner in her seventies protesting against council cuts was among eight people fined under a PSPO. Leicester City Council later cancelled the fine.

According to the report, picking up stones is banned in an area of Torbay, Devon, while picking up stones, soil or turf is prohibited in areas of Richmond Upon Thames and Rugby.

Foraging for blackberries would be an 'offence' in areas of Harrow, Richmond upon Thames and Rugby.

Meanwhile, sleeping in public is banned by PSPOs across the entire Rother district, East Sussex, with four other councils found to have effectively banned sleeping or rough sleeping.

A curfew for under-16s at 11pm - and under-14s at 9pm - has been introduced by Burnley, while a wild swimming is banned across the whole of North Lincolnshire under a PSPO, according to the report.

Enfield London Borough Council prohibits 'catcalling (e.g., whistling, making sexual comments), staring or leering' while Guildford Borough Council has banned 'intentionally shouting or screaming'.

Gosport Borough Council has banned sitting or loitering 'in a manner causing or likely to cause harassment, alarm, distress, nuisance or annoyance to any person', while Lancaster City Council bans groups of two or more from allowing 'their actions to cause annoyance' to anyone nearby.

The study by the Campaign for Freedom in Everyday Life, which campaigns against draconian regulations, found the use of PSPOs has ballooned.

In 2015, eight were in force in England and Wales.

But researchers found 91 per cent of 297 councils which responded to Freedom of Information requests now have at least one PSPO in place.

They have created 1,268 new orders in total, each of which can contain up to 30 individual restrictions.

And in a threat to free speech, 61 had PSPOs which regulate language in public spaces. This was up from just 16 in 2022.

Fines issued under PSPOs are also at a record high, with 25,000 handed out last year.

Of these, three-quarters were issued by private enforcement companies who can be paid per fine, creating an incentive to issue as many penalties as possible.

The campaign group argues that the orders in some cases are worded so loosely that almost anything could be considered to be an offence.

Josie Appleton, director of the group, said: 'The statutory guidance is clear: PSPOs should only be used where there is a demonstrable nuisance or harm to the local community.

'What we are seeing instead is councils drafting catch-all powers that allow officers to punish almost anyone for almost anything.

'This is a clear abuse of power, but without democratic scrutiny or meaningful appeal it will continue unchecked.'

William Yarwood, of the TaxPayers' Alliance said: 'It is a scandal that town hall busybodies are more interested in dreaming up draconian rules to criminalise everyday life than they are in fixing the basic services taxpayers actually pay for.

'Handing over enforcement powers to 'fining for profit' companies creates a toxic incentive to punish as many people as possible rather than solve actual anti-social behaviour.'

Maya Thomas, of Big Brother Watch, said: 'While criminalising swearing and rude language might make streets 'feel' safe, it does nothing to ensure that they genuinely are.

'The freedom to express yourself politely, rudely, quietly or loudly is a key part of living in a democracy - as is learning to ignore speech that you find​ offensive or unpleasant.

'This Orwellian use of PSPOs is entirely disproportionate to the 'harms' caused by legal but unpleasant speech. Rather than forcing the police to chase after cheeky teenagers or peaceful protestors, councils should support officers keeping public spaces safe in ways that are actually effective.'

PSPOs were created by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

Fines for breaching them are currently £100 but will be increased to £500 under the Crime and Policing Bill, which will soon gain Royal Assent.

The Local Government Association, which represents town halls, said: 'Councils need effective powers to tackle anti-social behaviour that can have a serious impact on people's quality of life and on local town centres, parks and high streets.

'PSPOs are one of a number of tools available and councils are required to use them proportionately, with oversight from democratically elected councillors and consultation with police and communities.'