England & Wales

I'm sure you've all heard about the woman in Manchester killed by a bottle thrown in to a pub. Whilst deaths from this sort of thing are rare, drunks throwing bottles near or at people is not. Sadly it was only a matter of time before someone was killed by an act that otherwise would have probably gone unpunished. So what offences are there for someone throwing a bottle? Lets presume that someone is refused entry to a pub and throws a bottle that hits the doorway or doorstaff. If it causes injury then it is an assault of some kind, but would it be 'assault with an offensive weapon'? Would it make a difference if it was already being carried or if it was picked up to th…

Do you not think that footballers (and other sports people for that matter) should be given section 4/5 warnings when they swear on the pitch? Afterall stadiums and the like are designated public places durning matches, and shouting and swearing will undoubtedly cause harrassment, alarm or distress to someone.

Hi everyone, I watched a clip on youtube before and there was some protestors (4 of them), and one of the officers mentioned something about section 14? I think it was to desperse him or move him away from the area, I can't remember now. But the other 3 moved off and then he was on his own so he started to argue that a section 14 cannot be issued to one person. The officers and man continued to quarrel and then one of the officers turned to "section 5 public order," and told the man that he was causing the officer distress and he felt intimidated, so in turn he could be arrested under section 5 of the public order for causing harrassment, alarm or distress. Is this true? …

Wotcha everyone! Not sure if this belongs here as it isn't a legal question as such, but does concern the application of criminal justice. So, here's the problem. I'm a neighbourhood volunteer working in a 'sleepy' little town in Wales that is also home to Glamorgan university. As such we have a considerable problem with drugs and drug factories (nothing too serious just cannabis at the minute). Because of the drug problem we get a reasonable amount of knock on crime, obviously student houses are hardly fortresses and they have alot of shiny things in their rooms and cars to nick. Also, several abandoned houses and student houses have been turned into, as I say abo…

I am a Neighbourhood Officer in a village in SE England---usually single crewed and as most Neighbourhood Teams overwhelmed with crap jobs that dont fit in a box... My village suffers massively with the 13-17 year olds drinking, outside the local shops poncing alcohol/tobacco...threats to passers by at the train station etc etc....all the usual. I do use the S27 power for O16's, and I have now started using Section5--arrest/take home and de-arrest.. Just wandered if anyone else had any usefultips for moving tghese kids on and long term initiatives to resolve the issue. (shooting the kids is not an option!!) Many Thanks in advance...Jim

I'm led to believe that under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, in terms of power of entry into a dwelling, police would have to obtain a warrant/ It would appear that if we look through the window of a house, that appeared T/U, and a dog had been left behind with no food, excrement everywhere - basically suffering, then police cannot enter without a warrant as it's deemed a dwelling? Nothing is simple in this world. At the end of the day went in anyway - hate to see an animal suffering. Where do I stand in terms of my entry being illegal?

hi can someone help, if you conduct a sect 23 on a person and find a small tablet you believe to be MDMA (an E) for instance and you wanted to street bail him so you can submit the tablet to soco what would be the correct procedure?? when you find the tablet on searching him would you caution straight away, do a PNB interview get him to admit possesion then arrest then street bail or would you arrest then caution then pnb interview then street bail? I know normally you would arrest and bring into custody but what would you do if you had to street bail? Thnak for any help you can give with this. Jack

Can anyone clear this up? Dogs dangerously out of control/not under proper control is governed by Section 3 of the Dogs Act. Does this only relate to the dog injuring a person (not another dog) in a public place only? I understand that 'apprehension to injure a person may be caused by the out of control dog injuring another dog. What if the out of control dog runs into somebody's garden off the street and attacks the householder's dog in the rear garden thus causing injury to the dog, and possibly the person when the person tries to intervene? Proceduraly, would it be correct to obtain a statement from the aggrieved, interview the owner then report for summons? Any poi…

Hello. I was thinking of upgrading the headlights on my car and have seen these conversion kits that fit HID bulbs in to a headlight that original took Halogen bulbs. However my friend told me this. “Gas discharge bulbs can only approved to used in E marked D type headlights. There is no such thing as a gas discharged bulb approved to be used in a H type headlights. In so all retrofit bulbs are illegal to use on the road. Further more headlights of over 2000lm fall in to further legislation that require auto levelling and auto washers as per ECE standards. So even if you replace the headlight for a E approved D type without these systems it would still be illegal to …

If there is 'no drinks outside' due to a street drinking ban can door staff use force to 1) Stop people leaving the premises with open drinks 2) Use force to take drinks of people trying to leave with them 3) Use force to remove dinks from people in the vicinity of the pub entrance who have left with drinks 4) Who can use force? Must they be SIA door supervisors or can the licencee still use force to eject and prevent entree (and if relevant take drinks) There is a trend in my town that the door staff seem to being allowed to enforce the street drinking ban. Cheers Hutchy77

Hi folks wondering if you could help? Is a reprimand the same as a formal caution? Thanks again

A PCSO attends a call in relation to anti social behaviour using a motor vehicle. The vehicle in question has gone by the time the PCSO arrives but the PCSO has reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act has occurred. Having done the necessary checks it appears the owner has already had a section 59 warning within the year. Some two hours later the PCSO finds the offending vehicle parked up with the driver / owner present. The driver denies the incident of anti social behaviour but admits he was the driver at the alleged time. The PCSO tells the driver that he is going to seize his vehicle under section 59 of The Police Refor…

We were watching an episode of Road Wars earlier tonight in which a motorist was stopped on a motorway by a unmarked police traffic vehicle and the officers were in uniform. It turned out that the driver claimed to have motor insurance on his brothers commercial policy and that the vehicle which he was driving was his brothers vehicle which he was test driving. After a number of questions from the officers and checks with the insurance company it transpired that the driver had no insurance valid to drive this vehicle and also had six points on his licence. Now the driver upon hearing all of this then claimed to have other insurance valid but the officer rightly so was …

James asks Katie if he can borrow her phone. Katie agrees and gives him the phone and does not specify what he must do with it. James makes a call and walks off whilst Katie is inside a shop. Katie's friend Sandra makes contact with James asking for the return of the phone. James replies to Sandra that he does not want Katie to get the phone back and will not give it to Sandra unless Sandra promises not to return it to Katie. Above is an allegation made to me by Katie and Sandra. (All names have been changed to protect the guilty). I arrested James and he denied that the incident had taken place at all. I spoke to our case directors about it. (Case directors are …

Ok, Im half way through my training... And im getting really confused by the "im arresting you on suspicion of...." Yet its quite clear you just saw them carry out the complete offence... cant you just say "im arresting you for...." Its just something iv not quite grasped yet... Maybe some one could explain it to me? Thank you x