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Sweden may soon introduce a ban on swearing in public places, possibly making the country more attractive to tourists.

A councillor for the Centre Party, Ingrid Olsson, would like to see a crackdown on swearwords which are used to insult others.

Ms Olsson says that the use of rude words in Sweden has grown in recent years and she describes it as a type of 'violence'.

'I'm not talking about stopping people saying "oh damn" when they hit their thumb with a hammer or something,' the councillor told the Local.

'Physical violence is always reported to the police, but this is a kind of violence too.'

The drive to ban swearwords from public places comes as authorities in Shanghai, China, are trying to introduce a similar law in a bid to improve the city's image.

However, although the law looks likely to be a success in Shanghai, it seems Ms Olsson is fighting a losing battle in Sweden.

The Local says that the law is unlikely to be passed, particularly as councillors do not make criminal law in Sweden.

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