Sheriffs Act 1887

14 Duties on arrest of civil debtors

(1) Where an officer being a sheriff, under-sheriff, bailiff, serjeant-at-mace, or other officer whatsoever arrests or has in custody any person by virtue of any action, writ, or attachment for debt, such officer shall not—

(a) convey such person without his free consent to any house licensed for the sale of intoxicating liquor, or to the private house of such officer or of any tenant or relation of such officer ; nor

(b) charge such person with any sum for, or procure him to call or pay for, any liquor, food, or thing whatsoever, except what he freely asks for ; nor

(c) take such person to any prison within twenty-four hours of. the time of his arrest, unless such person refuses to be carried to some safe and convenient dwelling-house of his own nomination, not being the private dwelling-house of such person, and being within the borough or town where such person was arrested, or if he was not arrested within a borough or town then within three miles of the place and in the county or franchise in which he was arrested ;

but shall at all times permit such person to send for and to have brought to him at reasonable times in the day any food or liquor from what place he thinks fit, and also to have and use such bedding, linen, and other necessary things as he has occasion for or is supplied with, and shall not purloin or detain the same or require any payment for the use thereof or restrict the use thereof.

(2) Every court of quarter sessions in a county shall from time to time make an order allowing sums which may be taken from prisoners arrested in such county on any action, writ, or attachment, in respect of one or more nights lodging or for a day's diet or for other expenses of such person, and may from time to time vary such order as seems expedient.

(3) A copy of every such order signed by the clerk of the peace shall be fixed in some conspicuous place in the sessions house or other proper place of the county as the court may order, so that the same may be there seen and examined as occasion may require.

(4) For the purpose of making known the provisions of this section a printed copy thereof shall be delivered by every sheriff, under-sheriff, secondary of the City of London, and other person entrusted with causing the execution of any writ or attachment, to the bailiff, serjeant-at-mace, officer, or other person employed to execute the same,

(5) It shall be part of the conditions of every security given to any sheriff, or under-sheriff, by any bailiff, serjeant-at-mace, officer, or other person employed to execute any writ or attachment under him that such bailiff, serjeant-at-mace, officer, and other person will show a printed copy of this section to every person whom he arrests and goes with to any house where intoxicating liquor is sold, and also will permit such person or his friend to read over such copy before any liquor or food is called for or brought to him, and any breach by such bailiff, serjeant-at-mace, officer, or person of such condition shall be a misdemeanor in the execution of the writ or attachment, besides being a breach of the conditions of the security.