http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2009/23/section/259Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009An Act to make provision in relation to marine functions and activities; to make provision about migratory and freshwater fish; to make provision for and in connection with the establishment of an English coastal walking route and of rights of access to land near the English coast; to enable the making of Assembly Measures in relation to Welsh coastal routes for recreational journeys and rights of access to land near the Welsh coast; to make further provision in relation to Natural England and the Countryside Council for Wales; to make provision in relation to works which are detrimental to navigation; to amend the Harbours Act 1964; and for connected purposes.texttext/xmlenStatute Law Database2026-09-16Expert Participation2026-08-09 Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009s. 72A(2A)Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023s. 232(2)(d)s. 247s. 255(9)(a)Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009s. 72A(6)(a)Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023s. 232(2)(f)(i)s. 247s. 255(9)(a)Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009s. 72A(6)(a)Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023s. 232(2)(f)(ii)s. 247s. 255(9)(a)Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009s. 72A(6)(b) and wordLevelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023s. 232(2)(f)(iii)s. 247s. 255(9)(a) Part 8Chapter 22591This section applies where—aan enforcement officer considers that it would not be reasonably practicable for the officer to exercise a power which the officer wishes to exercise in relation to a vessel or marine installation without detaining the vessel or marine installation in a port, orban enforcement officer reasonably believes that—ia vessel or marine installation is itself evidence of the commission of a relevant offence, andiithe only reasonably practicable way to preserve that evidence is to detain the vessel or marine installation in a port.2The officer may—atake, or arrange for another person to take, the vessel or marine installation and its crew to the port which appears to the officer to be the nearest convenient port, orbrequire the person who is for the time being in charge of the vessel or marine installation to take it and its crew to that port.3When the vessel or marine installation has been taken to a port, the officer may—adetain it there, orbrequire the person for the time being in charge of it to do so.4An enforcement officer who detains any vessel or marine installation under this section must serve a notice on the person who is for the time being in charge of it.5The notice must state that the vessel or marine installation is to be detained until the notice is withdrawn.6A notice served under subsection (4) may be withdrawn by service of a further notice signed by an appropriate enforcement officer.7In subsection (6) the reference to an appropriate enforcement officer is a reference to any enforcement officer acting on behalf of the same relevant authority as the enforcement officer who served the notice under subsection (4), and includes a reference to that officer.“Relevant authority” means the person or body on whose behalf the officer who detained the vessel or marine installation was acting.S. 259 in force at 12.1.2010 by S.I. 2009/3345, art. 2, Sch. para. 21Pt. 8 Ch. 2 applied (with modifications) (N.I.) (18.9.2013) by Marine Act (Northern Ireland) 2013 (c. 10), ss. 39(1), 49 (with ss. 1(1), 46(3), 47)Pt. 8: power to apply (with modifications) conferred (12.2.2026) by Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Act 2026 (c. 6), ss. 14(4)(g), 32(1) (with s. 30)