Part 4: Police Powers Chapter 5: Maritime Enforcement: English and Welsh Offences Section 91: Maritime enforcement powers: supplementary: protective searches
Where the power to stop, board, divert and detain a ship is exercised under section 88, this section allows 'protective searches' to be carried out. Subsection (2) enables a law enforcement officer to search any person found on the ship for anything (for example, weapons or tools), which might be used to cause physical injury, damage to property, or endanger the safety of any ship. Subsection (3) provides for a protective search to be undertaken on board the ship or elsewhere.
	Subsection (4) allows the officer carrying out the search to seize and retain anything found if the officer believes that the person might use it to cause injury or damage to property, or endanger the safety of the ship. A seized item may only be retained for so long as there are reasonable grounds to believe that it might be used in such a manner.
	Subsection (6) limits the power to search a person under subsection (2) to the removal of an outer coat, jacket or gloves, where that search takes place in public view.