Austria: man fined for farting 'with full intent' at police

BERLIN (AP) - A man in Vienna has been fined 500 euros ($565) for breaking wind loudly in front of police - a move that the Austrian capital's police force was at pains to defend on Tuesday.

The Oesterreich newspaper reported that the fine stemmed from an incident on June 5 and that the offender was fined for 'œoffending public decency."

City police wrote on Twitter that 'œof course no one is reported for accidentally '~letting one go.''ť They added that the man had behaved 'œprovocatively and uncooperatively'ť during an encounter with officers that preceded the incident.

He got up from a park bench, looked at officers and 'œlet go a massive intestinal wind apparently with full intent,'ť they said. 'œAnd our colleagues don't like to be farted at so much.'ť

Police noted that the decision could be appealed.