Licensing Act 1964 (repealed)

186 Right of constables to enter premises. E+W

[F1 (1) For the purpose of preventing or detecting the commission of any offence against this Act a constable may enter licensed premises, a licensed canteen or premises for which or any part of which a special hours certificate is in force under section 78 of this Act—

(a) at any time within the hours specified in relation to the premises in subsection (1A) of this section, and

(b) in the case of premises for which a justices’ licence is in force or a licensed canteen, at any time outside those hours when he suspects, with reasonable cause, that such an offence is being or is about to be committed there.

(1A) The hours referred to in subsection (1)(a) of this section are—

(a) in the case of licensed premises (other than premises which are licensed premises by virtue only of an occasional licence) or a licensed canteen, the permitted hours and the first half hour after the end of any period forming part of those hours;

(b) in the case of premises for which an occasional licence is in force, the hours specified in the licence;

(c) in the case of premises for which, or any part of which, a special hours certificate is in force under section 78 of this Act, the hours beginning at eleven o’clock in the evening and ending thirty minutes after the end of the permitted hours fixed by section 76 of this Act;

and, in relation to premises within more than one paragraph of this subsection, the hours referred to in subsection (1)(a) are the hours specified in any of the relevant paragraphs.]

(2) If any person, himself or by any person in his employ or acting with his consent, fails to admit a constable who demands entry to premises in pursuance of this section he shall be liable, on a first conviction to a fine not exceeding [F2 level 1 on the standard scale], and on a subsequent conviction to a fine not exceeding [F2 level 1 on the standard scale].

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 186(1)(1A) substituted for s. 186(1) by Licensing (Amendment) Act 1977 (c. 26, SIF 68A:1), s. 1

F2 Words substituted by virtue of Criminal Law Act 1977 (c. 45, SIF 39:1), s. 31(5)(6)(9) and Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 46