Muslim woman forced to remove her face veil on the first day of a ban in Austria

A MUSLIM woman was forced to remove her face veil on the first day of a ban in Austria.

She was wearing a niqab in the town of Zell am See when cops stepped in.

Items which cover the face, including the full Islamic veil, masks and scarves, have been outlawed in public places.

Anyone flouting the law faces a fine of 150 euros.

People are only allowed to wear them for special events or celebrations.

Announcing the ban, officials in Vienna claimed it would encourage “acceptance and respect of Austrian values”.

The measures, similar to those in other European Union countries, also apply to visitors even though large numbers of Arab tourists holiday in the Alpine country.

The legislation was brought in by the outgoing centrist government of Chancellor Christian Kern.

The right wing Freedom Party is expected to gain seats in elections this month.

In 2011 France became the first European country to ban full face veils in public.