Man fined £450 for ‘provocative’ fart in front of police officers

A man in Vienna has been fined nearly £500 for farting provocatively in front of police officers.

Austrian police were forced to defend the penalty after the Österreich newspaper revealed the man had been punished for ‘offending public decency’ on June 5.

Officers argued that the offender was uncooperative and behaving provocatively with officers leading up to the incident.

They wrote on Twitter that the man had been sitting on a park bench before getting up, looking at them and letting go a ‘massive intestinal wind apparently with full intent’.

‘Of course no one is reported for accidentally letting one go,’ they added.

The man can appeal the €500 (£447) fine.