4.—(1) The owner of an item to which regulation 3 above applies may, at any time within the period referred to in paragraph (2) of that regulation, apply to the chief officer of the police force by which it is retained or, as the case may require, to the person referred to in that paragraph by whom it is retained for the item to be released to him.
(2) An application under this regulation shall be made orally or in writing and shall be accompanied by evidence of ownership by the applicant.
(3) Where the chief officer or other person to whom application is made under this regulation is satisfied that the applicant is the owner of the item concerned and that further retention of the item is not necessary for the purposes of any criminal proceedings he shall arrange for the item concerned to be returned to the applicant.