Attendance of others at hearing
55.—(1) The hearing shall be in private, subject to regulation 54(2) and the following provisions of this regulation.
(2) It shall be within the discretion of the presiding officer to allow—
(a)any authorised officer of the Ombudsman,
(b)any solicitor, or
(c)any such other persons as he considers desirable,
to attend the whole or such part of the hearing as he may think fit, subject to the consent of all parties to the hearing.
(3) Where the case of a designated person is to be conducted by a person selected by him under regulation 50(2), he may be accompanied at the hearing by that person.
(4) In any other case, the designated person concerned may be accompanied at the hearing by a person selected by him, being a police officer, a member of a police force in Great Britain, a member of the police support staff or a representative of a trade union.
(5) The presiding officer may allow witnesses to be accompanied at the hearing by a friend or relative.