An authorised officer of a district council who has reason to believe that a person has committed an offence under Article 7(5) or 8(2) on premises, F2or in a place within the district of the council may give him a penalty notice in respect of the offence.

An authorised officer of an enforcement authority who has reason to believe that a person has committed an offence under Article 7(5) or 8(2) in a vehicle in relation to which the authorised officer has functions may give that person a penalty notice in respect of the offence.

The Department may by regulations provide that, in the circumstances specified in the regulations, an authorised officer of an enforcement authority who has reason to believe that a person has committed an offence under Article 9(3) in relation to a vehicle in relation to which the authorised officer has functions may give the person a penalty notice in respect of the offence.

A penalty notice is a notice offering a person the opportunity to discharge any liability to conviction for the offence to which the notice relates by paying a penalty in accordance with this Order.

Schedule 1 makes further provision about fixed penalties.

It is the duty of a district council to enforce, as respects F5premises and places in its district, the provisions of this Order and regulations made under it.

The Department may make regulations designating the persons or bodies or descriptions of person or body which are to be enforcement authorities for the purposes of enforcing, as respects vehicles, the provisions of this Order and regulations made under it.

It is the duty of an enforcement authority to enforce, as respects the vehicles in relation to which it has enforcement functions, the provisions of this Order and of regulations made under it.

In this Order, “authorised officer”, in relation to a district council F6or other enforcement authority , means any person (whether or not an officer of the council F7or other authority ) who is F8authorised by that council or other authority in writing, either generally or specially, to act in matters arising under this Order.

If regulations so provide, no person is to be so authorised unless he has such qualifications as are specified in the regulations.

Schedule 2 makes provision about the powers of authorised officers.

The Department may make grants to district councils to defray expenditure incurred by them in exercising their functions under this Order.

Grants under paragraph (5) shall be of such amounts, and subject to such conditions, as the Department may, with the approval of the Department of Finance and Personnel, determine.

Any person who intentionally obstructs an authorised officer of a district council F10or other enforcement authority , acting in the exercise of his functions under this Order, commits an offence.

Any person who without reasonable cause fails to give to an authorised officer, acting in the exercise of his functions under this Order, any facilities, assistance or information which the authorised officer reasonably requires of him for the performance of those functions commits an offence.

A person guilty of an offence under this Article is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

For the purposes of this Order, section 20(2) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 (c. 33) applies with the omission of the words “the liability of whose members is limited” and where the affairs of a body corporate are managed by its members, applies in relation to the acts or defaults of a member in connection with his functions of management as if he were a director of the body corporate.

In paragraph (2) “partner” includes a person purporting to act as a partner.

Proceedings for an offence alleged to have been committed by a partnership shall be brought in the name of the partnership (and not in that of any of the partners).

Proceedings for an offence alleged to have been committed by an unincorporated association (other than a partnership) shall be brought in the name of the association (and not in that of any of its members).

Rules of court relating to the service of documents shall have effect as if the partnership or unincorporated association were a body corporate.

A fine imposed on a partnership on its conviction for an offence is to be paid out of the partnership assets.

A fine imposed on an unincorporated association on its conviction for an offence is to be paid out of the funds of the association.

Paragraphs (5) and (6) are not to be read as prejudicing any liability of a partner, officer or member under paragraph (2) or (4).

In this Article “offence” means an offence under any provision of this Order.