HC Deb 30 June 1911 vol 27 cc750-1

(1) A police constable may apprehend without warrant any person who he has reason to believe is guilty of an offence under this Act, whether upon his own view thereof or upon the complaint and information of any other person who shall declare his name and place of abode to such constable.

(2) Where a person having charge of a vehicle or animal is apprehended by a police constable for an offence under this Act, it shall be lawful for that or any other constable to take charge of such vehicle or animal, and to deposit the same in some place of safe custody until the termination of the proceedings or until the court shall direct such vehicle or animal to be delivered to the person charged or the owner, and the reasonable costs of such detention, including the reasonable costs of veterinary treatment where such treatment is. required, shall, in the event of a conviction in respect of the said animal, be recoverable from the owner summarily as a civil debt, or, where the owner himself is convicted, shall be part of the costs of the case.

Mr. G. GREENWOOD

I beg to move, in Sub-section (1), after the word "Act" ["guilty of an offence under this Act"] to insert the words "which is punishable by imprisonment without the option of a fine." This is under the old Clause, and we thought it was wrong to give power to a constable to apprehend prisoners, except in cases where the offence is punishable by imprisonment without the option of a fine, so that he cannot arrest on smaller offences.

Mr. BOOTH

I welcome this Amendment which I tried to impress upon the Committee in respect to this Clause. It seemed to me a very desirable step, and this is rather a concession of the point of view which I urged upon the Committee, and I am glad at this late hour that the hon. Gentleman in charge of the Bill has seen his way to conform to my wishes.

Amendment agreed to.