Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002

A police officer may detain an intoxicated person found in a public place who is—

behaving in a disorderly manner or in a manner likely to cause injury to the person or another person or damage to property, or

in need of physical protection because the person is intoxicated.

A police officer is not to detain a person under this section because of behaviour that constitutes an offence under any law.

However, a police officer may detain an intoxicated person under this section even if behaviour constitutes an offence under section 9 of the Summary Offences Act 1988 if the detention is not for the purpose of taking proceedings for the offence.

An intoxicated person detained by a police officer under this Part is to be taken to, and released into the care of, a responsible person willing immediately to undertake the care of the intoxicated person.

An intoxicated person detained by a police officer under this Part may be taken to and detained in an authorised place of detention if—

it is necessary to do so temporarily for the purpose of finding a responsible person willing to undertake the care of the intoxicated person, or

a responsible person cannot be found to take care of the intoxicated person or the intoxicated person is not willing to be released into the care of a responsible person and it is impracticable to take the intoxicated person home, or

the intoxicated person is behaving or is likely to behave so violently that a responsible person would not be capable of taking care of and controlling the intoxicated person.

An intoxicated person detained under this Part may be detained under such reasonable restraint as is necessary to protect the intoxicated person and other persons from injury and property from damage.

This section does not authorise a responsible person into whose care an intoxicated person is released to detain the intoxicated person.