17.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), a reference in these Regulations to retirement includes a reference to retirement under regulation 18, 19, 20 or 21, but does not include a reference to—
(a)leaving a force on transferring from one force to another;
(b)leaving a force on joining a Scottish police force or the Police Service of Northern Ireland;
(c)ceasing to serve as a regular police officer, otherwise than on retirement under regulation 21 (compulsory retirement on the ground of disablement), from a date before that on which the officer concerned attains the age of 55 years (whether he so ceases to serve voluntarily, upon the expiry without extension (or further extension) of the period of an appointment for a fixed term in accordance with regulation 11 of the Police Regulations 2003(1) or upon being dismissed or required to resign); or
(d)retirement within the meaning of section 11(2) of the 1996 Act(2) in a case where, under that section, the chief constable in question is required to retire before the date on which he attains the age of 55 years.
(2) A regular police officer who fulfils the qualifying service criterion and who is dismissed or required to resign, on or after the date on which he attains the age of 55 years, shall be deemed for the purposes of these Regulations to have retired under regulation 18 on the date his dismissal or resignation took effect, having given such notice to the police authority of his intention to retire as is mentioned in regulation 18(2) and with any necessary consent having been given under regulation 18(4).
(3) A regular police officer fulfils the qualifying service criterion if—
(a)he has at least two years’ qualifying service; or
(b)regulation 15 applies to him.
(4) In paragraph (3), “two years’ qualifying service” has the meaning assigned to it by section 71(7) of the 1993 Act(3).
1996 c.16; section 11(2) was amended by the Police Reform Act 2002 (c.30), section 30(2)(a).