Animals Act 1971 (c. 22)

Detention and sale of trespassing livestock E+W

[F1 7A Power of local authorities in England to detain horses E+W

(1) A local authority in England may detain a horse which is in any public place in its area, if the conditions in subsection (2) are met.

(2) The conditions are—

(a) the local authority has reasonable grounds for believing that the horse is there without lawful authority, and

(b) if the land is lawfully occupied by a person—

(i) that person consents to the detention of the horse, or

(ii) the local authority has reasonable grounds for believing that that person would consent to the detention of the horse (but this does not require the authority to seek consent).

(3) Section 7C contains further provision about detention under this section.

(4) In this section “ local authority ” means—

(a) a county council,

(b) a district council,

(c) a London borough council,

(d) the Common Council of the City of London, and

(e) the Council of the Isles of Scilly.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 7A inserted (26.5.2015) by Control of Horses Act 2015 (c. 23), ss. 1(1), 5(1)