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Section 5: Harassment, alarm or distress.

Public Order Act 1986 · 1986 c. 64View on legislation.gov.uk

Part I: New Offences

A person is guilty of an offence if he—

uses threatening or abusive words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour, or
displays any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening or abusive,

within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby.

An offence under this section may be committed in a public or a private place, except that no offence is committed where the words or behaviour are used, or the writing, sign or other visible representation is displayed, by a person inside a dwelling and the other person is also inside that or another dwelling.

It is a defence for the accused to prove—

that he had no reason to believe that there was any person within hearing or sight who was likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress, or
that he was inside a dwelling and had no reason to believe that the words or behaviour used, or the writing, sign or other visible representation displayed, would be heard or seen by a person outside that or any other dwelling, or
that his conduct was reasonable.

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A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

About this text

This legislation text comes from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. These source and reuse terms cover the legislation text, not Remedy's commentary.

Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.