The Motor Vehicles (Replacement of Catalytic Converters and Pollution Control Devices) Regulations 2009

Powers of search etc.

5.—(1) An officer may at all reasonable hours and on—

(a)identifying himself or herself and producing authority in writing from the enforcement authority for the exercise by the officer of powers conferred on the authority by these Regulations, and

(b)stating the purpose of the officer’s actions and the grounds for undertaking them,

exercise any of the powers set out in sub-paragraph (2).

(2) The powers referred to in sub-paragraph (1) are as follows—

(a)an officer may, for the purpose of ascertaining whether an offence under these Regulations has been committed—

(i)inspect any catalytic converter, assembly of catalytic converters, pollution control device or assembly of pollution control devices; and

(ii)enter any premises other than premises used only as a dwelling;

(b)if an officer has reasonable cause to suspect that an offence under these Regulations has been committed, the officer may, for the purpose of ascertaining whether it has been committed, require any person carrying on, or employed in connection with, a business to produce any records relating to the catalytic converter, assembly of catalytic converters, pollution control device or assembly of pollution control devices in question and the officer may take copies of those records or any part of them;

(c)if an officer has reasonable cause to suspect that an offence under these Regulations has been committed, the officer may seize and detain any catalytic converter, assembly of catalytic converters, pollution control device or assembly of pollution control devices for the purpose of ascertaining whether the offence has been committed;

(d)an officer may seize and detain any catalytic converter, assembly of catalytic converters, pollution control device, assembly of pollution control devices or records which the officer has reason to believe may be required as evidence in proceedings for an offence under these Regulations;

(e)an officer may, for the purpose of exercising the officer’s powers of seizure under this sub-paragraph, but only if and to the extent that it is reasonably necessary in order to secure that the provisions of these Regulations are duly observed, require any person having authority to do so to open any container and, if that person does not comply with the requirement or if there is no person present having authority to open it, the officer may break open the container.

(3) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (2), the officer may require information stored electronically to be made available in printed form.

(4) An officer may, for the purpose of ascertaining whether an offence has been committed under these Regulations, make a purchase of a catalytic converter, assembly of catalytic converters, pollution control device or assembly of pollution control devices.

(5) If a justice of the peace is satisfied by any written information on oath—

(a)that there are reasonable grounds for believing either—

(i)that any catalytic converter, assembly of catalytic converters, pollution control device, assembly of pollution control devices or records, which an officer has power under this paragraph to inspect, copy, seize or require to be produced, is or are on any premises and that the inspection, copying, seizure or production of that item is likely to disclose evidence of the commission of an offence under these Regulations; or

(ii)that any offence under these Regulations has been, is being, or is about to be committed on any premises; and

(b)either—

(i)that admission to the premises has been or is likely to be refused and that notice of intention to apply for a warrant under this sub-paragraph has been given to the occupier; or

(ii)that an application for admission, or the giving of such a notice, would defeat the object of the entry or that the premises are unoccupied or that the occupier is temporarily absent and it might defeat the object of the entry to await the occupier’s return,

the justice may by warrant under his or her hand, which shall continue in force for a period of one month, authorise an officer to enter the premises, if need be by force.

(6) On entering any premises by authority of a warrant granted under sub-paragraph (5), an officer shall, if the occupier is present, give to the occupier or, if the occupier is temporarily absent, leave in a prominent place on the premises, or an appropriate part of the premises, a notice in writing—

(a)summarising an officer’s powers of seizure and detention of any catalytic converter, assembly of catalytic converters, pollution control device, assembly of pollution control devices or records under this paragraph;

(b)explaining that compensation may be payable for damage caused in entering premises and seizing and removing any catalytic converter, assembly of catalytic converters, pollution control device, assembly of pollution control devices or records, and giving the address to which an application for compensation should be directed; and

(c)indicating at which office of the enforcement authority and within which hours a copy of these Regulations is available to be consulted.

(7) An officer, when entering any premises by virtue of this paragraph, may be accompanied by such persons and take such equipment as appear necessary.

(8) An officer, when leaving any premises which the officer entered by virtue of a warrant, shall, if the premises are unoccupied or the occupier is temporarily absent, leave them in as secure a state as that in which they were found.

(9) When exercising any power of seizure and detention under this paragraph, an officer shall, as soon as practicable, give to the person against whom the power has been exercised, a written notice stating—

(a)precisely what has been so seized and detained;

(b)that an application for the release of a detained item may be made in accordance with paragraph 6 of this Schedule; and

(c)the procedure for making such an application.

(10) A person who is not an officer of the enforcement authority shall not purport to act as such under this paragraph.

(11) In the application of this paragraph to Scotland, the reference in sub-paragraph (5) to a justice of the peace shall include a reference to a sheriff and the references to written information on oath shall be construed as references to evidence on oath.

(12) In the application of this paragraph to Northern Ireland, the references in sub-paragraph (5) to any information on oath shall be construed as references to any complaint on oath.