(1)A person shall not—
(a)sell or offer or expose for sale or give; or
(b)cause or procure any person to sell or offer or expose for sale or give; or
(c)knowingly be a party to selling or offering or exposing for sale or giving;
to any person, any seed or grain which has been rendered poisonous unless such seed or grain is to be used for sowing.
(2)A person shall not lay, or cause, procure or permit to be laid any poisonous substance (not being sown seed or grain) on any land in his ownership or occupation unless—
(a)notice thereof has been given in writing to a police officer at the nearest police station and adequate warning notice has been posted in a conspicuous place or conspicuous places on the land, or
(b)the poison is laid for the purpose of destroying insects or other invertebrates or rats, mice or other small vermin and he has taken all reasonable precautions to prevent the access thereto of dogs, cats, fowl or other domestic animals.
[F1(2A)It shall be a defence in proceedings under subsection (2) to show that—
(a)the act alleged to constitute the offence was done under and in accordance with the terms of a licence issued under paragraph (1), (2) or (3) of Article 18 of the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985; and
(b)any conditions specified in the licence were complied with.]
(3)Any person who contravenes this section shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding[F2 level 4 on the standard scale].