http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2026/20/section/21/enactedCrime and Policing Act 2026enKing's Printer of Acts of Parliament2026-05-12 Part 2Chapter 1 21 1 This section applies where an authorised officer is satisfied that content— a present on a relevant user-to-user service, or b which may be encountered in or via search results of a relevant search service, is unlawful weapons content in a relevant part of the United Kingdom. 2 The authorised officer may give a content removal notice to— a the provider of the relevant user-to-user service, or b the provider of the relevant search service. 3 If the authorised officer gives a content removal notice to a service provider in a case where the coordinating officer has the contact details of the provider’s content manager, the authorised officer may also give the notice to that manager. 4 A content removal notice is a notice requiring the service provider and (if applicable) the provider’s content manager (each a “recipient”) to secure that— a the content to which it relates is removed (see section 27(2)), and b confirmation of that fact is given to the authorised officer. 5 A content removal notice must— a identify the content to which it relates; b explain the authorised officer’s reasons for considering that the content is unlawful weapons content in the relevant part (or parts) of the United Kingdom; c explain that the notice must be complied with before the end of the period of 48 hours beginning with the time the notice is given; d explain that each recipient has the right to request a review of the decision to give the notice and how a request is to be made (see section 22); e set out the potential consequences of failure to comply with the notice; f contain the authorised officer’s contact details; g be in such form, and contain such further information, as the Secretary of State may by regulations prescribe. 6 The authorised officer may withdraw a content removal notice from a recipient by notifying the recipient to that effect (but withdrawal of a notice does not prevent a further content removal notice from being given under this section, whether or not in relation to the same content as the withdrawn notice). 7 In this section— “authorised officer” means— a member of a relevant police force who is authorised for the purposes of this section by the chief officer of the force, or a National Crime Agency officer who is authorised for the purposes of this section by the Director General of the National Crime Agency; “relevant part of the United Kingdom” means— where the authorised officer is a member of a relevant police force in England and Wales, England and Wales; where the authorised officer is a member of the Police Service of Scotland, Scotland; where the authorised officer is a member of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland; where the authorised officer is a member of the Ministry of Defence Police or a National Crime Agency officer, any part of the United Kingdom.