[F1(1A)Any person who, with intent to deceive—

(a)impersonates a designated person; or

(b)makes any statement or does any act calculated falsely to suggest that he is a designated person; or

(c)makes any statement or does any act calculated falsely to suggest that he has powers as a designated person that exceed the powers he actually has,

shall be guilty of an offence.]

(2)Any person who, not being a constable, wears any article of police uniform in circumstances where it gives him an appearance so nearly resembling that of a member of the police force as to be calculated to deceive shall be guilty of an offence.

(3)A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1)[F2, (1A)] or (2) shall be liable—

(a)on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both;

(b)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to a fine, or to both.

(4)Any person who, not being a member of the police force, has in his possession any article of police uniform shall, unless he proves that he obtained possession of that article lawfully and has possession of it for a lawful purpose, be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

(5)In this section “article of police uniform” means any article of uniform or any distinctive badge or mark or document of identification usually issued to members of the police force or anything having the appearance of such an article, badge, mark or document.

[F3(6) In this section “ designated person ” means a person designated under section 30[F4, 30A] or 31 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2003. ]