s 15 Who may exercise powers under special authorisation
15.—(1) A special power specified in a special authorisation may be exercised by any of the following who is granted the special authorisation:(a) a police officer when he or she is in uniform; (b) a police officer when not in uniform only after he or she produces a warrant identifying himself or herself as a police officer. (2) To avoid doubt, a police officer may exercise a special power specified in a special authorisation whether or not he or she has received a hardcopy of the special authorisation. (3) Subject to subsection (4), a special power specified in a special authorisation may also be exercised by —(a) any law enforcement officer acting on the direction and in aid of the police officer granted the special authorisation; or (b) an individual (who is not a serviceman) acting on the direction and in aid of the police officer granted the special authorisation (called in this Act a civilian assistant), and a reference in Part 4 or 5 to a police officer acting pursuant to a special authorisation includes such a law enforcement officer or a civilian assistant acting under the police officer’s direction. (4) This section —(a) only authorises a civilian assistant to exercise a special power specified in section 18, 19(1) or (2), 20(1) or (2), 24 or 27(1)(a) or (b) in aid of a police officer exercising that special power; and (b) does not authorise a civilian assistant to use lethal force when exercising any special power in aid of a police officer. (5) An individual who is authorised under subsection (3)(a) or (b) to exercise a special power in aid of a police officer must obey all lawful directions (general or specific) of that police officer when exercising that power; but the individual —(a) does not cease to be acting on the direction of a police officer by reason only that that police officer is not present at all times when the individual exercises the special power; and (b) is not to be regarded as a member of the police force for the purposes of section 14 of the Government Proceedings Act 1956.