297Removal from public place
(1)Where—
(a)a constable reasonably suspects—
(i)that a person (referred to in this section and in section 298 of this Act as a “relevant person”) who is in a public place has a mental disorder; and
(ii)that the relevant person is in immediate need of care or treatment; and
(b)the constable considers that it would be in the interests of the relevant person, or necessary for the protection of any other person, to remove the relevant person to a place of safety,
the constable may remove the relevant person to a place of safety.
(2)A relevant person removed to a place of safety under subsection (1) above may, for the purposes of enabling—
(a)arrangements to be made for a medical practitioner to carry out a medical examination of the relevant person; and
(b)the making of such arrangements as the medical practitioner considers necessary for the relevant person’s care or treatment,
be detained there for a period ending not later than 24 hours after the time at which the relevant person is removed from the public place by the constable.
(3)If a relevant person absconds—
(a)while being removed to a place of safety under subsection (1) above; or
(b)from the place of safety,
a constable may, at any time during the period mentioned in subsection (2) above, take the person into custody and remove the person to a place of safety.
(4)In this section, “public place” means a place to which the public, or any section of the public, has, or is permitted to have, access (whether on payment or otherwise); and includes the common parts of a building containing two or more separate dwellings.
(5)If no place of safety is immediately available, a constable may, under subsection (1) or (3) above, remove a relevant person to a police station; and in any such case, any reference in this section and in section 298 of this Act to a place of safety shall be construed as being a reference to a police station.