18.—(1) An authorised officer of a relevant enforcement authority other than the Agency on producing, if so required, some duly authenticated document showing his or her authority, has a right at all reasonable hours—
(a)to enter any premises within the authority's area or as the case may be district for the purpose of ascertaining whether there is or has been on the premises a contravention of any provision of this Part of these Regulations for which that authority has enforcement responsibility pursuant to regulation 17; and
(b)to enter any premises, whether within or outside the authority's area or as the case may be district, for the purpose of ascertaining whether there is on the premises any evidence of such a contravention within that area or district,
but admission to any premises used only as a private dwelling-house may not be demanded as of right unless 24 hours' notice of the intended entry has been given to the occupier.
(2) An authorised officer of the Agency on producing if so required some duly authenticated document showing his or her authority, has a right at all reasonable hours to enter any premises for the purpose of—
(a)ascertaining whether there is or has been on the premises a contravention of any provision of this Part of these Regulations for which the Agency has enforcement responsibility pursuant to regulation 17; and
(b)ascertaining whether there is on the premises any evidence of such a contravention,
but admission to any premises used only as a private dwelling-house may not be demanded as of right unless 24 hours' notice of the intended entry has been given to the occupier.
(3) If a justice of the peace, on sworn information in writing, is satisfied that there is reasonable ground for entry onto any premises for any such purpose as is mentioned in paragraph (1) or (2) and either—
(a)that admission to the premises has been refused, or a refusal is apprehended, and that notice of the intention to apply for a warrant has been given to the occupier; or
(b)that an application for admission, or the giving of such a notice, would defeat the object of the entry, or that the case is one of urgency, or that the premises are unoccupied or the occupier is temporarily absent,
the justice may by warrant signed by him or her authorise the authorised officer to enter the premises, if need be by reasonable force.
(4) Every warrant granted under this regulation continues in force for a period of one month.
(5) An authorised officer entering any premises by virtue of this regulation, or of a warrant issued under it, may take with him or her such other persons as he or she considers necessary, and on leaving any unoccupied premises which he or she has entered by virtue of such a warrant must leave them as effectively secured against unauthorised entry as that in which they were found.
(6) An authorised officer entering premises by virtue of this regulation, or of a warrant issued under it, may inspect any records (in whatever form they are held) and, where any such records are stored in any electronic form—
(a)may have access to, and inspect and check the operation of, any computer and any associated apparatus or material which is or has been in use in connection with the records; and
(b)may require any person having charge of, or otherwise concerned with the operation of, the computer, apparatus or material to afford that officer such assistance as he or she may reasonably require.
(7) Any officer exercising any power conferred by paragraph (6) may—
(a)seize and detain any records which the officer has reason to believe may be required as evidence in proceedings under any of the provisions of this Part of these Regulations; and
(b)where the records are stored in any electronic form, require the records to be produced in a form in which they may be taken away.
(8) If any person who enters any premises by virtue of this regulation, or of a warrant issued under it, discloses to any person any information obtained by him or her on the premises with regard to any trade secret, he or she is, unless the disclosure was made in the performance of his or her duty, guilty of an offence.
(9) Nothing in this regulation authorises any person, except with the permission of the local authority under the Animal Health Act 1981 M1, to enter any premises—
(a)on which an animal or bird affected with any disease to which that Act applies is kept; and
(b)which is situated in a place declared under that Act to be infected with such a disease.
Marginal Citations