Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act (Northern Ireland) 2011

Power of entry

56.—(1) This section applies if an authorised officer of a district council is satisfied that the conditions in subsection (2) are met in relation to an audible intruder alarm installed in or on premises in the district of the district council.

(2) The conditions are—

(a) that the alarm has been sounding continuously for more than 20 minutes or intermittently for more than one hour;

(b) that the sounding of the alarm is likely to give persons living or working in the vicinity of the premises reasonable cause for annoyance;

(c) if the premises are in an alarm notification area, that reasonable steps have been taken to get the nominated key-holder to silence the alarm.

(3) The officer may enter the premises for the purpose of silencing the alarm.

(4) The officer may not enter premises by force under this section.

(5) The officer must, if required, show evidence of the officer’s authority to act under this section.

(6) In this section—

“authorised officer” means an officer of a district council who is authorised by the council (generally or specifically) for the purposes of this section;

“nominated key-holder”, in respect of premises in the district of a district council, means a person in respect of whom the council has received notification in accordance with section 50(2)(b).