Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000

A police officer may destroy drug matter where it is found or move it, or arrange for it to be moved, to another place where it can safely be destroyed if—

a police officer is satisfied it is not reasonably practicable to take the drug matter to a property point or to keep it at a police station; and

the police officer reasonably believes that unless the drug matter is destroyed there is a risk it may be used in the commission of an offence.Example for paragraph (a)—It may be necessary to destroy a large plantation of cannabis plants after taking samples of the plants because it is impractical to transport them to a property point for storage and leaving them where they are may lead to the commission of an offence.

Also, a police officer may destroy drug matter where it is found, or move it, or arrange for it to be moved to another place where it can safely be destroyed if it may be dangerous to take it, or any part of it, to a property point or to keep it at a police station.

This section applies even though—

a proceeding for an offence in which the drug matter may be relevant has not been started or, if started, has not been decided; and

any notice of the proposed destruction of the drug matter that is required to be given under section 710 has not been given.