Can the police do that?

Question

Can the British police enter private property without a warrent or the permission of the householder?

Ive heard of a couple of instances where police have turned up to a house party and 'forced' entry without an invitation.

Has the law been changed with the 'war on terror' that I didnt hear about?

Answer 1

no the police can't just enter any private dwelling without the power to do so prescribed by either a warrant or statute.

you must bear in mind however that many offences carry the power for police officers to enter property to either make an arrest or search the property. additionally there are specific powers of entry available in certain circumstances.

the use of force is also something the law allows the police to use as long as its reasonable and necessary.

as for your last question yes there have been additional powers given to the police to deal with terrorists, though they are only available in certain circumstances.

i'm sorry i can't be more specific, but you have to understand that the police do have powers to enter peoples houses given the right circumstances, and that if one goes beyond his powers he is not only liable to loosing his job but also to answering to the courts.

i find it extreemly difficult to believe the cases you mention are illegal, remember your friends may not be telling you everything.

Answer 2

If they consider that there is an offence taking place, or the property is holding someone who has, then yes. Otherwise no. The only people who can wander in without a warrant are Customs and Excise - they seem to be above the law. Utility services have right of access if there is a potential danger - gas blast etc, but you can refuse and they will return with the police to secure entry.

Answer 3

If there is immediate danger to the public, or if they are in hot pursuit, the police can enter premises without a warrant ot invitation. They are also permitted to take "reasonable steps" to prevent a breach of the peace. (That's their excuse for breaking up your noisy party) In all other circumstances a warrant from a Court is needed.

MI5 and HM Revenue & Customs on the other hand can issue their own warrants. So the tax man can come in, but not the police.

Answer 4

Yes they can in that instance. It is called breach of the peace if a party is going on at ridiculous hour of the night with loud music. If they are doing a drugs bust or suspect stolen property in house or someone is on the wanted list, then they have to get a court order (warrant) to enter the property.

Think ive got that right.

Answer 5

no the british police force cannot enter a private or council property without a warrant,however if you invite them in,thats a different story so you have to be careful how you speak to the police as they are very good at talking their way into a property,ecspecially the c.i.d as its their job
with regard to the anti-terrorist situation,police are only allowed to storm a property if they think public saftey is at risk,but that could be used in any situation,and when they realised thye have made a mistake,they leave it to the cheif constable to do a public apology
so the answer is "no"

Answer 6

Yes they can, but it depends, they have to have a very strong reason, if they saw someone with a weapon run in to a house they could enter, or they were chasing someone and saw them enter they have the right to enter. Think about when they do a drug bust do they knock first and say sorry but can we come in and nick you for having class A drugs, of course not, there are a number of things that they can enter with a warrant or permission.

Answer 7

They need a warrant to SEARCH the property. They can enter premises to make arrests etc if somethings going on, house party had probably had complaints from neighbours or something, i dont know the circumstances.

Answer 8

Police need a warrant except in cases where the application for a warrant may give a person time to hide or destroy evidence, basically drugs and weapons violations. Apart from that they must have a warrant but as they can basically simply say they think there are drugs/weapons bombs on the premises they can do as they please.

Answer 9

If the police come to specifically look for things, i.e., drugs or stolen goods then they have to have a search warrant. If they come to your house because of a complaint about loud music then they can enter without permission or a warrant.

Answer 10

As we're now living in a police state , they can pretty much do whatever the hell they like ( including shooting innocent people and driving at crazy speeds on our motorways without being answerable to they laws they supposedly enforce ) !!!