Section 18 Power to prohibit removals of firearms and ammunition

(1)

A Secretary of State may by order prohibit the removal of any firearms or ammunition—

(a)

from one place to another in Great Britain; or

(b)

from Great Britain to Northern Ireland; or

(c)

for export from Great Britain;

unless the removal is authorised by the chief officer of police for the area from which they are to be removed, and unless such other conditions as may be specified in the order are complied with.

(2)

Any such order may apply—

(a)

either generally to all such removals, or to removals from and to any particular localities specified in the order; and

(b)

either to all firearms and ammunition or to firearms and ammunition of such classes and descriptions as may be so specified; and

(c)

either to all modes of conveyance or to such modes of conveyance as may be so specified :

Provided that no such order shall prohibit the holder of a firearm certificate from carrying with him any firearms or ammunition authorised by the certificate to be so carried.

(3)

Any officer of police may search for and seize any firearms or ammunition which he has reason to believe are being removed or to have been removed in contravention of any order made under this section, and any person having the control or custody of any firearms or ammunition in course of transit shall, on demand by a police constable, allow him all reasonable facilities for the examination and inspection thereof, and shall produce to him any documents in his possession relating thereto.

(4)

If any person—

(a)

contravenes any of the provisions of any order made under this section; or

(b)

fails to comply with any of the provisions of this section;

he shall, on summary conviction, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds for each firearm or parcel of ammunition in respect of which the offence is committed, or to both such imprisonment and fine; and if the offender is the owner of the firearms or ammunition, the court before whom he is convicted may make such an order as to the forfeiture of the firearms or ammunition as the court think fit.

(5)

References in the last two foregoing subsections to an order made under this section shall be construed as including references to an order made under section nine of the Firearms Act, 1920, or under any enactment passed by the Parliament of Northern Ireland repealing and re-enacting that section, prohibiting the removal of firearms or ammunition from Northern Ireland to Great Britain.

(6)

Any order made under this section may be varied or revoked by a subsequent order made by a Secretary of State.