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Notification of detention of a vehicle and its contents

8.—(1) Where a vehicle has been detained in accordance with regulation 3, an authorised person shall—

(a)publish a notice in the Belfast Gazette—

(i)giving a brief description of the property detained and the vehicle’s registration mark (if any);

(ii)indicating the time and place at which, and the powers under which, it was detained by the authorised person;

(iii)describing the procedure under which, and the period within which, an application may be made to the Department for the return of any property so detained;

(iv)stating that, if no-one establishes within the period specified in the notice their entitlement to the return of the vehicle, the authorised person intends to dispose of it after the expiry of that period in accordance with regulation 14;

(v)stating that any contents which are not disposed of in accordance with regulation 16(1) may be claimed at the place and at the times specified in the notice and that, if no-one establishes within the period specified in the notice their entitlement to the return of the contents, the authorised person intends to dispose of them after the expiry of that period in accordance with regulation 16(2); and

(b)not less than 21 days before the expiry of the period given in the notice serve a copy of the notice on—

(i)the owner of the vehicle;

(ii)the Chief Constable;

(iii)the Association of British Insurers; and

(iv)the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association where the vehicle was hired from a vehicle-hire firm under a hiring agreement.

(2) The period specified in a notice under paragraph (1)(a)(iii), (iv) and (v) shall be a minimum of 21 days, beginning with the date on which the notice is published under paragraph (1)(a) or, if later, a copy of the notice is served under paragraph (1)(b).