Article 23 Power to enter and search vehiclesI1

United Kingdom

(1)

If a constable or designated customs official has reasonable grounds to suspect that there is relevant evidence in a vehicle, other than a vehicle used wholly or mainly as a private dwelling, the constable or designated customs official may, at any time—

(a)

stop and detain the vehicle for the purposes of entering and searching it; and

(b)

enter the vehicle and search it for that evidence.

(2)

Where—

(a)

a constable or designated customs official has stopped a vehicle under this article, and

(b)

the constable or designated customs official considers that it would be impracticable to search the vehicle in the place where it has stopped,

the constable or designated customs official may require the vehicle to be taken to such place as the constable or designated customs official directs to enable the vehicle to be searched.

(3)

A constable or designated customs official may require—

(a)

any person travelling in a vehicle, or

(b)

the registered keeper of a vehicle,

to afford such facilities and assistance with respect to matters under that person's control as the constable or designated customs official considers would facilitate the exercise of any power conferred by this article.

(4)

The powers conferred by this article may be exercised in any place to which the constable or designated customs official has access (whether or not it is a place to which the public has access).

(5)

In this article—

“vehicle” includes any vessel, including any aircraft;
“relevant evidence” means evidence that an offence under this Order has been committed.

Annotations

Commencement

I1: Art. 23 in force at 1.12.2019, see art. 1(1)