There are many old, outdated laws which are still in force. A much quoted example makes it illegal to buy a Bible on a Sunday but okay to buy a pornographic magazine. Why then, are these archaic acts never repealed?

The current Parliament building - The Palace of Westminster - was built in 1778 to replace a mainly wooden construction which burned down when struck by lightening. The only part of the original building to survive was the library which contained the 'Statute Books' in which all UK laws have been recorded since 1352.

Had these books been destroyed it would have been legally impossible to prosecute anyone for wrong doing since no definition of a crime would have existed. A state of anarchy would have been the result.

Realising the seriousness of this, parliament rushed through the 'British Statute Protection Act' which gave authority to protect the vital legal annals from any kind of disaster or defacement. Unfortunately, this was done with such haste that the consequences were not fully considered. The books of the time were leather bound and compiled in manuscript. The new decree made it impossible to alter them in any way, so effectively all the current laws were now set in stone.

Since 1780, all new legislation has been recorded in books with removable pages making it possible to repeal redundant laws. Even so, the relevant sections are never destroyed - simply moved to an archive.

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Some old laws - still in force

• It is illegal to be in possession of cutlery within 150 yards of a public execution.
• A man may not ride side-saddle within the boundary of a castle unless he is engaged in the instruction of a lady in its use.
• Goat's cheese may not be used as bait to catch fish from Westminster bridge.
• Storage of rowing boats in a church crypt is only allowed if the seating has been removed.