Plans to make it easier for English local authorities to abolish outdated by-laws and create new ones will be outlined later by the government.

It will mean councils being able to sweep away bizarre regulations, such as rules on carpet-beating in Blackpool, or frying fish in Gloucester, without first needing Whitehall approval.

Instead, town halls will simply have to consult residents.

Local Government Minister Grant Shapps said it was all about devolving powers.

Gloucester City Council has unearthed 60 old by-laws that it wants to revoke and not replace.

In addition to 1968 regulations on frying fish and “other offensive trades”, it wants to call time on a 1947 by-law regarding the cleaning of ash pits and cesspools.

It also wants to get rid of a 1911 ruling requiring domestic servants to register with the council. BBC.

So when was the last time these by-laws where used, doesn’t the council have better things to do with its money?

For instance as a Gloucester resident I’d not noticed a lack of city chip-shops – the UK’s riddled with archaic by-laws which we have sensibly forgotten.

With the Con-Dems starting the most vicious public spending cuts in living memory it seems ridiculous to waste money addressing what is largely a non-existent problem

Still what else would one expect form a Tory other than an exercise to remove cash from the poor and place it in the pockets of the wealthy – this time its cash for its friends in law – what scam’s next?