s 4 The following is the Schedule inserted after Schedule 4 to the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 (c. 43)— SCHEDULE 4A Powers of authorised officers executing warrants
(1) This paragraph applies where a person is arrested in pursuance of a warrant of arrest, commitment or detention issued in proceedings for or in connection with any criminal offence. (2) An authorised officer may search the arrested person, if he has reasonable grounds for believing that the arrested person may present a danger to himself or others. (3) An authorised officer may also search the arrested person for anything which he might use to assist him to escape from lawful custody. (4) The power conferred by sub-paragraph (3) above may be exercised— (a) only if the officer has reasonable grounds for believing that the arrested person may have concealed on him anything of a kind mentioned in that sub-paragraph; and (b) only to the extent that it is reasonably required for the purpose of discovering any such thing. (5) The powers conferred by this paragraph to search a person are not to be read as authorising the officer to require a person to remove any of his clothing in public other than an outer coat, a jacket or gloves; but they do authorise the search of a person’s mouth. (6) An officer searching a person under sub-paragraph (2) above may seize and retain anything he finds, if the officer has reasonable grounds for believing that the person searched might use it to cause physical injury to himself or to any other person. (7) An officer searching a person under sub-paragraph (3) above may seize and retain anything he finds, if he has reasonable grounds for believing that the person might use it to assist him to escape from lawful custody.