Firearms Act 1965

5 Powers of constables

(1) A constable may require any person whom he has reasonable cause to suspect of having a firearm, with or without ammunition, with him in a public place, or to be committing or about to commit an offence under the foregoing provisions of this Act elsewhere than in a public place, to hand over the firearm and any ammunition for examination by the constable, and any person having a firearm or ammunition with him who fails to hand over the firearm or ammunition when required to do so under this subsection shall be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds or both.

(2) If a constable has reasonable cause to suspect any person of having a firearm with him in a public place or to be committing or about to commit an offence under the foregoing provisions of this Act elsewhere than in a public place, the constable may search that person and may detain him for the purpose of searching him.

(3) If a constable has reasonable cause to suspect that there is a firearm in a vehicle in a public place, or that a vehicle is being or is about to be used in connection with the commission of an offence under the foregoing provisions of this Act elsewhere than in a public place, he may search the vehicle and for that purpose require the person driving or in control of it to stop it.

(4) A constable may arrest without warrant any person whom he has reasonable cause to suspect to be committing an offence under the foregoing provisions of this Act or under section 17 (prohibited weapons and ammunition), section 21 (prohibition on ex-prisoners and others from possessing firearms and ammunition) or section 24 (shortened shot guns) of the principal Act.

(5) For the purpose of exercising the powers conferred by the foregoing provisions of this section a constable may enter any place.

(6) A constable may seize and detain any firearm or ammunition which may be the subject of an order for forfeiture under section 25 of the principal Act (power of court to order forfeiture of firearms or ammunition on conviction for certain offences).

(7) Subsection (5) of this section shall not be construed as prejudicing any power of entry exercisable by a constable apart from the provisions of that subsection and subsection (6) of this section shall not be construed as prejudicing the power of a constable, when arresting a person for an offence, to seize property found in his possession or any other power exercisable by a constable apart from that subsection of seizing firearms, ammunition or other property.