4.—(1) An owner or person in charge of any hive who knows or has reasonable grounds for supposing that any bees from it are infected with American foul brood, European foul brood or Varroosis shall as soon as is reasonably possible give notice of that fact to the Department and shall not remove, or permit to be removed, any hive, bees, combs, quilts, bee-products or appliances from the premises or other place on or in which the hive is situated until—
(a)an authorised person has examined them and has confirmed in writing that he is satisfied that American foul brood, European foul brood or Varroosis is not present in them;
(b)a report on the examination of a sample submitted from them under paragraph (2) confirms that American foul brood, European foul brood or Varroosis is not present in them and notification of that fact has been received under Article 6; or
(c)a notice has been served on the owner or person in charge under Article 5(2), whereupon the prohibition on removal contained in that notice shall replace the prohibition on removal arising under this paragraph.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) an owner or person in charge of any hive may submit samples of any bees, combs or hive debris to the Department in order to see if they are free from infection and any sample so submitted shall as far as possible be packed so as to prevent the risk of the spread of infection during transit.