The Horse Passports Regulations 2009

Powers of entry

20.—(1) An inspector may, on producing a duly authenticated authorisation if required, at all reasonable hours, enter any premises (excluding any premises not containing any horse and used only as a dwelling) for the purpose of administering and enforcing these Regulations; and in this regulation “premises” includes any vehicle or container.

(2) An inspector may—

(a) require the production of a passport and mark it as necessary;

(b) carry out any inquiries;

(c) have access to, and inspect and copy any documents or records (in whatever form they are held) relevant to these Regulations, and remove them to enable them to be copied;

(d) inspect and check the operation of any computer and any associated apparatus or material that is or has been in use in connection with documents or records; and

(e) mark any horse for identification purposes.

(3) Where an inspector has entered any premises and it is not reasonably practicable to determine whether documents on those premises are relevant to these Regulations, the inspector may seize them to ascertain whether or not they are relevant.

(4) The inspector may be accompanied by—

(a) such other persons as the inspector considers necessary, and

(b) any representative of the European Commission acting for the purpose of the enforcement of a Community obligation.

(5) It is an offence to deface, obliterate or remove any mark applied under this regulation except under the written authority of an inspector.

(6) In this regulation and regulation 21 “inspector” means a person appointed as such by a local authority or the Secretary of State for the enforcement of these Regulations or under the Animal Health Act 1981(1).

(1)

1981 c. 22.