Port and Harbour
Police in the UK
A handful of UK ports have their own police forces: small teams of sworn constables employed by the port company to police the docks. This guide sets out what exists, the powers they hold, how they recruit, what little is published on pay and how to watch for the rare vacancies. It also covers airport policing and the Royal Parks. Every fact comes from the ports' own pages, an inspection report or a dated advert, checked 23 October 2026.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 23 October 2026 · UK-wide
Yes, but vacancies are rare. Forth Ports says there are only nine dedicated ports police forces in the UK, most with a few dozen officers or fewer: Tilbury has 16 warranted officers. They are employed by the port company and sworn under old harbour legislation. Some take complete beginners (Felixstowe's last advert needed no police background) and some also take transferees (Tilbury). None had an open constable campaign when we checked on 23 October 2026, so the realistic approach is to bookmark each port's careers page and check regularly.
Port and harbour police get very little coverage, partly because there is little to say: the forces are tiny, they publish almost nothing about recruitment and they rarely advertise. This page is written only from what the ports themselves publish, a Northern Ireland inspection report and a handful of dated adverts, all read on 23 October 2026. Where something comes from a secondary source, such as a job board copy of an advert, we say so. Where we could not confirm something, we leave it out and list it at the end.
What port and harbour police are
A port police force is a small body of sworn constables who police a port or dock estate. Unlike the territorial forces, they are set up under the port's own legislation and employed by the port company or harbour authority.
Three things set them apart from the forces most applicants know:
- Private employers. Forth Ports says the Tilbury force "is privately funded by Forth Ports". The Felixstowe force describes itself as a "statutory independent police force that is entirely privately funded".
- Limited area. Their powers apply within limits set by law. Felixstowe's, for example, apply within the dock and within one mile of it.
- Tiny size. The Port of Tilbury London Police has 16 warranted officers. Dover reported 41 staff in April 2021, including its constables, sergeants, a chief inspector and an administrator.
They are a different thing from British Transport Police, which polices the railways as a national force and recruits in regular campaigns. If transport policing is what appeals, our how to join BTP guide is likely to be more useful than waiting for a port vacancy.
The forces at a glance
Forth Ports says the Port of Tilbury London Police "remains one of only nine dedicated ports police forces in the UK". Forth Ports does not name the other eight. The list below follows a commonly cited secondary list (Wikipedia's list of UK law enforcement agencies); we confirmed the forces in the top six rows from their own ports' pages or an official report, but not the last three.
| Force | Employer | Size | Who it has recruited | Open constable campaign on 23 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port of Tilbury London Police | Forth Ports | 16 warranted officers | Both: new recruits train alongside Essex Police; transferees from Home Office forces or BTP | None found |
| Port of Dover Police | Dover Harbour Board | 41 staff as of April 2021 | Not stated | None found |
| Port of Felixstowe Police | Hutchison Ports | Not stated | New recruits taken on the last advert we found (about 2024) | None found |
| Port of Liverpool Police | Peel Ports | Not on a primary page | Last advert posted 14 November 2025, now filled | None (no police roles on Peel Ports' list) |
| Tees and Hartlepool Harbour Police | PD Ports | Not stated | Constable adverts found from 2019 and 2020 only | None found |
| Belfast Harbour Police | Belfast Harbour | Not stated | Not confirmed from a primary source | None confirmed |
| Port of Bristol Police | Bristol Port Company | Not confirmed | Not confirmed (force page did not load) | Not checked |
| Falmouth Docks Police | Not confirmed | Not researched | Not researched | Not checked |
| Port of Portland Police | Not confirmed | Not researched | Not researched | Not checked |
Most port forces publish one short page, if that. We only fill a cell from a primary source or a dated advert. A blank or "not stated" means we did not find it, not that it does not exist.
Powers and legal basis
Port police officers are not appointed under the Police Act like territorial officers. The ports that explain their legal basis point back to Victorian harbour legislation, applied through each port's own Act or Order:
| Force | Legal basis | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Port of Dover Police | Appointed by two Justices of the Peace under section 79 of the Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847, as modified by the Dover Harbour Revision Order 2006 and section 7 of the Marine Navigation Act 2013 | The port |
| Port of Felixstowe Police | Established in 1975 under section 3(1)(e) of the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Act 1956, which incorporates section 79 of the 1847 Act; sworn by two Justices as special constables | "Full police powers within the statutory limits of the dock and within one mile of the same" |
| Tees and Hartlepool Harbour Police | Maintained under the Tees and Hartlepool Port Authority Act 1966; officers appointed by justices of the peace | Roughly two miles from the high water line |
| Port of Tilbury London Police | Warranted officers "trained to full Home Office standards" (legal basis not stated on the Forth Ports page) | The port |
Tees and Hartlepool has a formal link to its local territorial force: a Memorandum of Understanding with Cleveland Police covering deployments, operations, training and administration. In Northern Ireland, the 2025 inspection of airport and harbour policing recommended Memoranda of Understanding with the PSNI within six months (see Belfast Harbour Police).
Do not confuse Felixstowe's legal wording with volunteer special constables: the Felixstowe constable advert we found was for a salaried post (see Felixstowe below).
Who employs you and what that means
Joining a port force means joining a port company. Dover is the clearest about what follows: its officers "are not maintained under Police Regulations" and are managed under Dover Harbour Board personnel policies. The port, not a police force, is your employer.
- Pay is set by each port. No port force publishes a standing pay scale (see pay).
- Pension arrangements are not described on any port page we read, so we do not describe them.
- Career structure is small. Dover's 2021 structure was one chief inspector and six sergeants over 33 constables.
- Moving on to another force is possible in some cases but not all (see moving on later).
Port of Tilbury London Police (Forth Ports)
Forth Ports describes the Tilbury force in a few lines, but they answer the main questions an applicant has:
- Size: "sixteen warranted officers, all trained to full Home Office standards".
- Routes in: officers "either complete their initial training alongside Essex Police or join having transferred from other Home Office forces or the British Transport Police".
- Funding: "privately funded by Forth Ports".
- Pay: not published.
- Open campaign: none found on 23 October 2026.
So Tilbury is one of the few port forces that is open to both complete beginners and serving officers. With 16 officers, though, vacancies will be occasional.
Port of Dover Police (Dover Harbour Board)
Dover's police page gives a staffing snapshot from April 2021: 41 staff made up of 1 Chief Inspector, 6 Sergeants, 33 Constables and 1 Administrator. Officers are appointed by two Justices of the Peace under section 79 of the 1847 Act as modified for Dover and are managed under Dover Harbour Board personnel policies rather than Police Regulations.
The page links to an external careers site for vacancies. It does not say how the force recruits, whether it takes new recruits or transferees, or what it pays. No open campaign was found on 23 October 2026.
Port of Felixstowe Police (Hutchison Ports)
Felixstowe's FOI publication scheme (August 2021) explains the force's basis: established in 1975 under the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Act 1956, with officers sworn by two Justices as special constables "with full police powers within the statutory limits of the dock and within one mile of the same". It calls itself a "statutory independent police force that is entirely privately funded".
Felixstowe is also the only port force for which we found a detailed constable advert. It was advertised by Hutchison Ports UK as "9921 - Police Constable" and was shown as posted and closed about two years ago (so around 2024). We saw it as a job board copy, not on the employer's own site, so treat the details as a dated guide:
| Item | What the advert said |
|---|---|
| Starting salary | £44,830 including shift allowance |
| After the development framework | £46,604 |
| Experience | "No previous police or security background is needed" |
| Driving | Full clean driving licence |
| Vetting | NPPV Level 2, including financial checks |
| Medical | Required |
| Selection | Assessment day, then a competency-based interview |
| Probation | One year |
No open campaign was found on 23 October 2026. NPPV Level 2 is explained in our vetting levels guide.
Port of Liverpool Police (Peel Ports)
Peel Ports advertised a "Police Constable (Neighbourhood Support)" post in Liverpool (L21 1LA) on 14 November 2025. The advert page now says "Sorry, this position has been filled." On 23 October 2026, Peel Ports' full vacancy list showed no police roles.
The force's size, its legal basis and its pay are not on a Peel Ports page we could find. Figures quoted elsewhere come from secondary sources, so we do not repeat them.
Tees and Hartlepool Harbour Police (PD Ports)
PD Ports' harbour police page says the force is maintained under the Tees and Hartlepool Port Authority Act 1966, with officers appointed by justices of the peace. Its operating area runs roughly two miles from the high water line and a Memorandum of Understanding with Cleveland Police covers deployments, operations, training and administration. The page gives no headcount.
The constable adverts we found on pdports.co.uk dated from 2019 and 2020. No current advert was found on 23 October 2026 and pay is not published.
Belfast Harbour Police
Belfast Harbour Police covers the Belfast Harbour Estate, which includes Belfast Harbour and George Best Belfast City Airport. Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI NI) published "An Inspection of Airport and Harbour Policing in Northern Ireland" on 15 October 2025, which recommended Memoranda of Understanding with the PSNI within six months.
We could not confirm Belfast Harbour Police's recruitment process, entry requirements or pay from a primary source, so we do not describe them. If you want to police in Northern Ireland and need a route that recruits regularly, the PSNI runs student officer campaigns: see how to join the PSNI.
Bristol, Falmouth and Portland
- Port of Bristol Police. The Bristol Port Company has a police page, but it returned an error when we tried to read it on 23 October 2026. We therefore state nothing about the force's basis, employer arrangements or recruitment.
- Falmouth Docks Police and Port of Portland Police. Both appear on the secondary list of nine port forces. We did not research them and could not confirm their current status, so we say nothing more.
How port police forces recruit
There is no national entry standard or shared recruitment process for port police. Each port sets its own advert, its own requirements and its own selection. From the primary evidence:
- Two routes exist at Tilbury: new recruits trained alongside Essex Police and transferees from Home Office forces or BTP.
- Complete beginners have been taken at Felixstowe: the last advert said no police or security background was needed.
- Adverts are posted by the port company: on its own careers site (Peel Ports, Dover's linked site) or on job boards.
- Campaigns are single vacancies, not intakes: the Liverpool advert was one post, filled.
Because each advert is a one-off, the details (licence, vetting, selection) can change between adverts at the same port. Always read the current advert.
Entry requirements
No port force publishes standing entry requirements. The only detailed set we found is Felixstowe's last advert (about 2024, job board copy):
- No previous police or security background needed.
- A full clean driving licence.
- NPPV Level 2 vetting, including financial checks.
- A medical.
Age, nationality, residency, qualifications and fitness standards were not stated on the port pages we read. For a sense of how these rules work at forces that do publish them, see our guides to police qualifications, nationality and residency and driving licences. They describe England and Wales rules, not port rules.
Tests and selection
Felixstowe's last advert described an assessment day followed by a competency-based interview, then a one-year probation. No port force publishes a test format, a fitness standard or a pass mark.
What that means for preparation, in PolicePay's view:
- Interview: a competency-based interview asks for examples from your own experience. Practising structured answers is useful for any police interview. Our police interview preparation guide and the free mock interview help with that.
- Knowing the port: port policing is about one estate, its businesses and its risks. Read what the port publishes about itself before an assessment day.
- Fitness: no port standard is published. Our fitness test by force page shows the standards other UK forces use.
Pay: what is and is not published
No port police force publishes a standing pay scale. The only constable pay figure we found:
| Force | Figure | Date and source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port of Felixstowe Police | £44,830 including shift allowance, rising to £46,604 after the development framework | Advert posted about 2024; job board copy of the employer's advert | Dated: the post is closed |
| Port of Tilbury London Police | Not published | Forth Ports page | None |
| Port of Dover Police | Not published | Port of Dover page | None |
| Port of Liverpool Police | Not published on a primary page | Peel Ports advert (filled) | None |
| Tees and Hartlepool Harbour Police | Not published | PD Ports page | None |
| Belfast Harbour Police | Not confirmed | None | None |
Be careful with pay figures for port police you see elsewhere. Several come from search snippets or old listings. Port pay can change between adverts because it is set by each employer. For comparison with forces that publish full scales, see our starting pay by force tool and police pay scales 2026.
How rarely port police recruit
This is the honest headline. On 23 October 2026:
- No port police constable campaign was open at any of the forces we checked.
- Liverpool's last constable advert (14 November 2025) had been filled.
- Felixstowe's last constable advert we found dated from about 2024.
- Tees and Hartlepool's constable adverts we found dated from 2019 and 2020.
With forces of a few dozen officers or fewer, a vacancy typically means one person leaving. If port policing is your only goal, expect to wait and to need to move quickly when something appears. If you want to be a police officer soon, a territorial force, BTP or one of the other national forces will give you far more chances; our which police force fits me guide can help you choose.
How to watch for vacancies
Port forces advertise through their employer, so the employer's careers page is where a vacancy will appear first. The pages we used, in one place:
| Force | Page to check |
|---|---|
| Port of Tilbury London Police | Forth Ports, Tilbury London page |
| Port of Dover Police | Port of Dover police page (links to the careers site) |
| Port of Felixstowe Police | Hutchison Ports UK vacancies (the last constable advert we saw was a job board copy) |
| Port of Liverpool Police | Peel Ports jobs, all vacancies |
| Tees and Hartlepool Harbour Police | PD Ports harbour police page |
| Belfast Harbour Police | CJI NI inspection page (for background; no careers page confirmed) |
Practical steps:
- Bookmark the careers page for each port you could realistically commute to.
- Check them on a regular routine, such as once a fortnight. Single-vacancy adverts may close quickly.
- Set up job alerts on the port company's careers site where it offers them, using words such as "police" and "constable".
- Search general and police job boards for the force name as well, since the Felixstowe advert we found was a job board copy.
- Keep a ready-to-go record of your experience, address history and certificates so you can apply within days.
Experience counts at some ports: Tilbury takes transferees from Home Office forces and BTP. Joining a force that recruits regularly, then watching for a port vacancy, is a realistic plan for people set on port policing. Our transfer guide explains how moves between forces work.
Port police vs British Transport Police
BTP is the other transport police force and the one most port police applicants also consider. A side-by-side view, using the ports' own descriptions and BTP's careers pages and adverts (both read on 23 October 2026):
| Port police | British Transport Police | |
|---|---|---|
| Employer | The port or harbour company | British Transport Police |
| Where you police | The port or dock estate within the limits its legislation sets (Felixstowe: the dock and one mile around it) | The railways |
| Rules you work under | At Dover: Dover Harbour Board personnel policies, not Police Regulations | BTP's own terms |
| How often they recruit | Rarely: no open constable campaign found at any port on 23 October 2026 | Campaigns by location, each open for a few weeks |
| Published pay | No standing scale; one dated advert (Felixstowe, about 2024) | The national constable scale, starting on point 2 (£33,609), paid every four weeks |
| Training | Tilbury: alongside Essex Police; others not published | About 33 weeks of initial training for intakes from April 2027 |
| Size | Tiny: Tilbury 16 warranted officers; Dover 41 staff (2021) | A national force |
Moving on later: do other forces accept port police officers?
If you join a port force, it matters whether your service will count elsewhere. The forces we have checked say different things:
| Force | Accepts port police officers as transferees? | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| MOD Police | Yes, through its New Entrant from Other Forces (NEOF) route | Completed probation (minimum two years' service) as a regular constable with a UK Home Department force or recognised civilian policing organisation, including "Ports Police" |
| Police Scotland | No | MoD Police, Civil Nuclear Constabulary, Royal Parks and port police officers are not eligible as transferees and are treated as new candidates |
| British Transport Police | Not listed | Transferee adverts require a current officer in a Home Office force, Police Scotland or the PSNI |
| Civil Nuclear Constabulary | Not listed | Transferees from Home Office forces, Police Scotland, the PSNI, BTP and MOD Police |
| Port of Tilbury London Police (into a port) | Takes transferees in | From Home Office forces or BTP |
So a port police career can lead on to MOD Police as a transferee, but at Police Scotland you would start again as a new candidate and BTP and the CNC do not list port forces among those they accept. The NEOF route is covered in our MOD Police recruitment process guide. Some MOD Police postings need national security vetting with strict residency rules: see national security vetting by force.
If you are already a police officer
Serving officers have more options with port forces than new applicants do, because at least one port says it takes transferees. What we found:
- Tilbury takes transferees. Forth Ports says officers join "having transferred from other Home Office forces or the British Transport Police" as well as through initial training with Essex Police.
- Other ports do not say. Dover, Felixstowe, Liverpool and Tees and Hartlepool do not state whether they take transferees. Felixstowe's last advert was open to people with no police background, but it did not describe any terms for experienced officers.
- Terms will be the port's. At Dover, officers are managed under Dover Harbour Board personnel policies, not Police Regulations. Before you resign from a territorial force or BTP, find out in writing what the port offers on pay, leave and pension. No port page we read describes pension arrangements.
- Think about the way back. If you might want to return to a larger force later, check the transferee rules in the moving on later table. Police Scotland treats port police officers as new candidates; MOD Police accepts them through its NEOF route.
Our guides to transferring between forces, transfer pay and pension and forces recruiting transferees cover the territorial forces. Read them for the questions to ask, then put those questions to the port.
Preparing an application for a port force
Because port vacancies are single posts that may close quickly, the best preparation is to have everything ready before an advert appears. PolicePay's general advice, built on what the Felixstowe advert asked for:
- Keep a ready-made record of your experience. Felixstowe's selection ended in a competency-based interview, so write down several examples of times you dealt with conflict, worked in a team, made a decision under pressure and helped someone in difficulty. Our guide to STAR interview answers explains a simple way to structure them.
- Get ready for vetting. Felixstowe named NPPV Level 2 with financial checks. Have your address history, employment history and credit file in order. Our guide to police vetting for applicants explains what is usually checked.
- Keep your licence clean. Felixstowe asked for a full clean driving licence.
- Learn about the port. Read what the port publishes about its operations, its size and its police force. An assessment day is a chance to show you understand policing one estate, not a whole county.
- Stay fit. No port publishes a fitness standard, but a medical was part of the Felixstowe process. Our fitness test by force page shows the standards other forces use.
- Apply elsewhere too. Waiting for one port vacancy is a slow plan. Applying to a force that recruits regularly at the same time keeps your options open; see applying to more than one force.
Questions to ask a port force before you accept
Port forces publish so little that you will need to ask. Questions worth putting to the port's recruitment team, in writing where possible:
- What is the starting salary and what does it include (for example a shift allowance)? How does it rise?
- What pension scheme would I join and what are the contribution rates?
- What initial training is there, who delivers it and where?
- How long is probation?
- What shift pattern do officers work?
- What vetting level is needed and who carries it out?
- Is there a fitness test and is it repeated during service?
- Would my service count if I later applied to transfer to another force?
None of these are answered on the port pages we read on 23 October 2026, which is why we do not answer them here.
Airport policing: only one airport constabulary is left
People searching for "airport police jobs" often expect a separate airport force. We found only one.
- Belfast International Airport Constabulary is the one airport constabulary we found. It is named in CJI NI's inspection of airport and harbour policing published on 15 October 2025, which raised concerns about its leadership, accountability and rank structure. We could not confirm its recruitment process or pay from a primary source.
- George Best Belfast City Airport sits within the Belfast Harbour Estate, which Belfast Harbour Police covers (same inspection).
- Everywhere else we found no airport with its own constabulary: airports are policed by the local territorial force. So the route in is to join the force that covers the airport you are interested in.
If you are aiming for airport policing in England or Wales, start with the force that covers the airport. Our applying to more than one force guide explains how to approach several forces at once.
The Royal Parks and other small constabularies
Royal Parks. There is no separate Royal Parks Constabulary recruiting today. The old force no longer exists and policing of the Royal Parks passed to the Metropolitan Police. We have not checked the dates of that change against legislation, so we do not quote them. Richmond Council reported in April 2025 that the Met planned to disband its Royal Parks unit and move the duties to neighbourhood officers; we could not confirm on a Met or Royal Parks page what happened after that.
Other small bodies. Secondary lists name other small groups of constables, for example at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, at Cambridge University, on the Mersey Tunnels and in some London parks. We could not confirm their current status, roles or recruitment from primary sources, so we do not describe them. They are not a recruitment route we can describe.
Royal Military Police. Not a civilian route. The Army says that when you join the Royal Military Police "you'll also be a soldier": you join the Regular Army and do Army basic training before police training.
Is port policing right for you?
It may suit you if:
- You live within reach of one of the ports and want to stay in one place.
- You like the idea of a small team where you get to know the estate and the people who work on it.
- You are willing to wait for a vacancy and move quickly when one appears.
- You are a serving officer near Tilbury looking for a change (Tilbury takes transferees from Home Office forces and BTP).
Think twice if:
- You want to start soon. Vacancies are rare and none were open when we checked.
- You want a wide range of specialist roles. Small forces have small structures.
- You may want to move to Police Scotland later: it treats port police officers as new candidates.
- You want published pay and pension terms before you apply. Ports set their own and publish little.
If you are weighing up the smaller and more unusual routes, our guides to the Isle of Man Constabulary, the States of Jersey Police and Guernsey Police cover three more small forces with their own rules.
Checklist if you are set on port policing
| Check | What we found | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Is there a vacancy? | No port police constable campaign was open when we checked on 23 October 2026 | Bookmark the careers pages in the table above and check regularly |
| Do you live near the port? | Each force covers only its own port estate | Be realistic about commuting; these jobs do not move you around a force area |
| Driving licence | Felixstowe's last advert asked for a full clean licence | Keep your licence clean |
| Vetting | Felixstowe's last advert named NPPV Level 2 vetting including financial checks | Get your credit file and address history in order |
| Interview practice | Felixstowe's last advert used an assessment day then a competency-based interview | Practise structured examples of your experience |
| Long-term plans | Some forces do not accept port police officers as transferees | Check the transfer rules in this guide before you join |
What we could not verify
- The full list of nine. Forth Ports gives the number but not the names. Falmouth Docks Police and Port of Portland Police come from a secondary list only and we did not research them.
- Port of Bristol Police. Its page did not load, so we state nothing about its basis, employer arrangements or recruitment.
- Liverpool's size, legal basis and pay. The figures quoted elsewhere come from secondary sources.
- Belfast Harbour Police recruitment and pay. Not confirmed from a primary source.
- Belfast International Airport Constabulary recruitment and pay. A pay range appears on a job board copy of an advert with no confirmed date, so we do not quote it.
- Pay at any port other than Felixstowe. No port publishes a standing scale; Felixstowe's figure is from a dated advert.
- Tees and Hartlepool pay. Not published.
- Who polices Heathrow and London City. We have seen the Metropolitan Police's description only in a search snippet of an FOI page, so we do not quote it.
- The Royal Parks dates and what happened to the Met's Royal Parks unit after its planned disbandment.
- Kew, Cambridge University, Mersey Tunnels and London parks constables. Status, roles and pay not confirmed.
- Age, nationality, residency and fitness rules at any port force. None publishes them on the pages we read.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many port police forces are there in the UK?
Forth Ports says the Port of Tilbury London Police is one of only nine dedicated ports police forces in the UK. The usual list (from a secondary source) is Liverpool, Tilbury, Dover, Felixstowe, Bristol, Tees and Hartlepool, Belfast Harbour, Falmouth Docks and Portland. We confirmed several of these from the ports' own pages but not Falmouth or Portland.
Are port police real police officers?
They are sworn constables with police powers within the limits set by their port's legislation. Dover's officers are appointed by two Justices of the Peace under section 79 of the Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847 as modified for Dover. Felixstowe's officers are sworn as special constables with full police powers within the dock and within one mile of it. They are employed by the port company: Dover says its officers are not maintained under Police Regulations.
How much do port police earn?
No port force publishes a standing pay scale. The only constable figure we could find was a Port of Felixstowe advert from about 2024 (seen as a job board copy): £44,830 including shift allowance, rising to £46,604 after a development framework. Treat it as dated. Other ports did not publish pay on the pages we read.
Do port police need previous police experience?
Not always. Felixstowe's last constable advert said no previous police or security background was needed. The Port of Tilbury London Police takes new recruits, who complete initial training alongside Essex Police. It also takes officers transferring from Home Office forces or British Transport Police.
Are any port police forces recruiting now?
We found no open constable campaign at any port police force when we checked on 23 October 2026. Liverpool's last constable advert was posted on 14 November 2025 and is now filled; Peel Ports' vacancy list showed no police roles. Tees and Hartlepool's adverts we found dated from 2019 and 2020.
Can I transfer from port police to another force later?
It depends on the force. MOD Police lists Ports Police among the organisations whose officers can join through its New Entrant from Other Forces route, after probation and at least two years' service. Police Scotland says port police officers are not eligible as transferees and are treated as new candidates. BTP's transferee adverts list Home Office forces, Police Scotland and the PSNI. The CNC lists Home Office forces, Police Scotland, the PSNI, BTP and MOD Police.
Who polices UK airports?
Belfast International Airport has its own constabulary, named in a Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland report published on 15 October 2025. George Best Belfast City Airport sits within the Belfast Harbour Estate, which Belfast Harbour Police covers. We found no other UK airport with its own constabulary: elsewhere, airports are policed by the local territorial force.
Is there still a Royal Parks Police?
No separate Royal Parks Constabulary recruits today: the old force no longer exists and policing of the Royal Parks passed to the Metropolitan Police. Richmond Council reported in April 2025 that the Met planned to disband its Royal Parks unit and move the duties to neighbourhood officers. We could not confirm on a Met page what happened after that.
Is the Royal Military Police a civilian police force?
No. The Army says that when you join the Royal Military Police you are also a soldier: you join the Regular Army, do basic training and then police training. It is not a route into civilian policing as a new recruit.
What powers do port police have outside the port?
Only what their legislation gives them. Felixstowe's officers have full police powers within the statutory limits of the dock and within one mile of it. Tees and Hartlepool Harbour Police operate roughly two miles from the high water line. Outside those limits they are not a general police force.
Does the Port of Tilbury Police take transferees?
Yes. Forth Ports says its 16 warranted officers either complete their initial training alongside Essex Police or join having transferred from other Home Office forces or British Transport Police. It does not publish pay or an open campaign.
What vetting do port police need?
No port force publishes a standing rule. Felixstowe's last constable advert (about 2024, seen as a job board copy) named NPPV Level 2 vetting including financial checks. NPPV is the police vetting family for people who are not employed by a police force.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 23 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- Forth Ports: Tilbury London : one of only nine dedicated ports police forces; 16 warranted officers trained to full Home Office standards; training alongside Essex Police or transfer from Home Office forces or BTP; privately funded (accessed 23 October 2026)
- Port of Dover: Police : 41 staff as of April 2021; appointment by two Justices under section 79 of the 1847 Act as modified; not maintained under Police Regulations; link to careers site (accessed 23 October 2026)
- Port of Felixstowe Police: FOI Publication Scheme (August 2021) : established 1975; Felixstowe Dock and Railway Act 1956; sworn as special constables with full police powers within the dock and one mile; privately funded statutory force (accessed 23 October 2026)
- Hutchison Ports UK advert "9921 - Police Constable" (secondary: job board copy, about 2024) : pay £44,830 rising to £46,604; no police background needed; licence; NPPV Level 2; medical; assessment day and interview; one-year probation (accessed 23 October 2026)
- Peel Ports: Police Constable (Neighbourhood Support), Liverpool : posted 14 November 2025; position filled (accessed 23 October 2026)
- Peel Ports: all vacancies : no police roles listed on 23 October 2026 (accessed 23 October 2026)
- PD Ports: Harbour Police : Tees and Hartlepool Port Authority Act 1966; appointment by justices; about two miles from the high water line; MoU with Cleveland Police (accessed 23 October 2026)
- Bristol Port Company: police page (did not load on 23 October 2026) : listed so readers can check it; nothing on this page relies on it (accessed 23 October 2026)
- Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland: Airport and Harbour Policing in Northern Ireland (15 October 2025) : Belfast Harbour Police and the Belfast Harbour Estate including George Best Belfast City Airport; Belfast International Airport Constabulary; recommendation on MoUs with the PSNI (accessed 23 October 2026)
- Richmond Council news, April 2025 : the council's reaction to the Met's plan for its Royal Parks unit (accessed 23 October 2026)
- British Army: Royal Military Police soldier : RMP members are soldiers in the Regular Army (accessed 23 October 2026)
- MOD Police: NEOF entry criteria : Ports Police among recognised organisations for the New Entrant from Other Forces route (accessed 23 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Transferees : port police not eligible as transferees; treated as new candidates (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP: Transferee and Re-Joiner Police Constable advert 793 : transferees must be current officers in a Home Office force, Police Scotland or the PSNI (accessed 23 October 2026)
- CNC careers: Police officer transferees : transferees from Home Office forces, Police Scotland, the PSNI, BTP and MOD Police (accessed 23 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
Free tools for applicants
Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with British Transport Police, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, the Ministry of Defence Police, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the National Crime Agency, the Isle of Man Constabulary, the States of Jersey Police, Guernsey Police, any port police force, Deloitte, the College of Policing or any other force and it does not recruit, vet or assess applicants. Each force sets and changes its own recruitment process, sometimes between campaigns: check the force's own recruitment pages and your invitation before relying on anything here. Our practice questions are original PolicePay material, not questions used by any force. Details are as checked on 23 October 2026.