A law prohibiting anyone from dying while inside the Houses of Parliament has bested other edicts as Britain's most ridiculous law.

The rather ludicrous law beat off strong competition from another ruling declaring an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the monarch's head upside down on an envelope.

Coming in third was a by-law in Liverpool prohibiting women from going topless in public unless they worked in a tropical fish store.

The existence of such law however was refuted by a spokesman for Liverpool City Council describing it as an urban myth.

"It's something that has been heard of before and does crop up from time to time, but it is absurd," said the spokesman.

However, the law banning people from dying inside the parliament seems to stand on solid grounds.

"Anyone who dies there is technically entitled to a state funeral," said Nigel Cawthorne, author of The Strange Laws of Old England, adding that the parliament is part of the royal Palace.

"(So) If they see you looking a bit sick they carry you out quickly."