[F16(1)Where it appears to an authorised officer of a principal litter authority that a person distributing any printed matter is committing an offence under paragraph 1 above, he may seize all or any of it.E+W
(2)Any person claiming to own any printed matter seized under this paragraph may apply to a magistrates' court for an order that the printed matter be released to him.
(3)On an application under sub-paragraph (2) above, if the magistrates' court considers that the applicant does own the printed matter, the court shall order the principal litter authority to release it to him, except to the extent that the court considers that the authority needs to retain it for the purposes of proceedings relating to an offence under paragraph 1 above.
(4)Any printed matter seized under this paragraph (and not released under sub-paragraph (3) above) must be returned to the person from whom it is seized—
(a)at the conclusion of proceedings for the offence (unless the court orders otherwise);
(b)at the end of the period in which proceedings for the offence may be instituted, if no such proceedings have been instituted in that period (or have been instituted but discontinued).
(5)Where it is not possible to return any printed matter under sub-paragraph (4) above because the name and address of the person from whom it was seized are not known, a principal litter authority may dispose of or destroy it.]
Textual Amendments
F1Sch. 3A inserted (E.W.) (6.4.2006 for E. and 15.3.2007 for W.) by Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 (c. 16), ss. 23(2), 108; S.I. 2006/795, art. 2(3), Sch. 2; S.I. 2006/2797, art. 4(j)