How are stolen goods recovered in pawnbrokers’ or second-hand dealers’ shops?
When a person complains to a licensee that goods in the possession of the licensee are their property, the licensee is to advise them to go to a Police station. A sign specifying this is to be erected in each of the licensees’ business premises (see What signs do I need to display? section above). If the theft or unlawful dealing of the goods has been reported to the Police on an earlier occasion, then the person (known as a claimant) must then provide Police with documentary evidence of ownership or a statutory declaration and make a written claim to the Police that they are the owner of the goods and that the goods have been stolen or otherwise unlawfully dealt with. If the Police Officer has no reason to suspect that the documents or statements are false or misleading in a material particular, then he/she may serve on the licensee what is known as a Restoration Notice. Upon being served with a restoration notice a licensee has 28 days to either return the goods to the claimant or lo
