How Britons break the law 32 times a year

HAVE you ever failed to pay for a 5p plastic bag or beeped your car horn at a fellow motorist in anger?

If so, you are contributing to a middle-class crime epidemic sweeping the country – with the average Briton breaking the law 32 times a year, according to research.

However, as these ‘offences’ include pocketing the incorrect change or vacuuming the house during what the law considers antisocial hours, upstanding citizens could be forgiven for ignorance of any wrongdoing.

The vast majority of Britons – 98 per cent – consider themselves law-abiding, a survey of 2,000 adults by BT found.

The law more of us have broken than any other is buying alcohol under the age of 18, but the survey also found 83 per cent of people are confused about what is legal.

Among the seemingly innocuous misdemeanours is obstructing members of the public in a park by flying a kite – which carries the risk of a hefty fine. And few of us are likely to be aware we are technically committing treason if we stick on a postage stamp upside down.

Meanwhile ‘borrowing’ your neighbours’ WiFi is so you don’t have to pay for it yourself is a strict no-no. The survey was carried out to mark the launch of US series Better Call Saul, about a criminal lawyer, on BT.

A BT spokesman said: ‘The research shows there’s definitely a need for his services as Brits are not as law-abiding as we think.’