Council crackdowns on leaflets and posters are in danger of sanitising public space and killing off vibrant community life, contends Claire Fox.

Missing cat photos cause ''''urban decay''''; handing out leaflets for a coffee morning is classed as ''''anti-social behaviour''''. Ridiculous - who argues such nonsense? Councils do, I''''m afraid.This is straight from the mouths of many of the 245 local authorities quoted extensively in an important and insightful report hot off the press today (June 30).