Theft, Robbery and
Burglary Revision
Most of the Theft Act 1968 questions in the sergeants exam are won or lost on a few precise points: whether the force was 'then and there', whether the burglar's intent existed on entry, whether the weapon was with him at the right moment, and whether the property is something the Act lets you steal. This page sets out the offences with their section numbers and maximum penalties, then the traps, then six worked questions from our own verified practice bank.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 4 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Know the five elements of theft (ss.1 to 6), robbery as theft plus force used in order to steal and fear of force 'then and there' (s.8), the two forms of burglary in s.9 and when intent has to exist for each, aggravated burglary in s.10 and its timing rule, blackmail (s.21), handling (ss.22 and 24), going equipped (s.25), taking a conveyance (s.12) and aggravated vehicle-taking (s.12A), plus the basics of fraud under ss.2 to 4 of the Fraud Act 2006. All statutory wording and maximum penalties on this page were checked on legislation.gov.uk on 4 October 2026.
Theft, robbery and burglary at a glance
This is a topic page in our sergeants exam series. It covers one slice of the Crime volume and assumes you know the general approach from how to pass the sergeants exam. The exam tests only the law as it appears in the Blackstone's Manuals edition for the sitting. Every section number, wording summary and maximum penalty below was read on legislation.gov.uk on 4 October 2026, in the version shown as the latest revised.
| Offence | What must be proved and the maximum |
|---|---|
| Theft (s.1) | Dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it. Ss.2 to 6 define the terms. Maximum seven years (s.7) |
| Robbery (s.8) | Steals, and immediately before or at the time of doing so and in order to do so, uses force on any person or puts or seeks to put any person in fear of being then and there subjected to force. Life |
| Burglary (s.9) | Two forms. (a) Enters as a trespasser with intent to steal, inflict grievous bodily harm or do unlawful damage. (b) Having entered as a trespasser, steals or attempts to steal, or inflicts or attempts to inflict grievous bodily harm. Fourteen years for a dwelling, ten otherwise |
| Aggravated burglary (s.10) | Any burglary where the defendant at the time has with him a firearm or imitation firearm, a weapon of offence or an explosive. Life |
| Blackmail (s.21) | With a view to gain for himself or another or with intent to cause loss to another, makes an unwarranted demand with menaces. Fourteen years |
| Handling (s.22) | Otherwise than in the course of the stealing, knowing or believing goods to be stolen, dishonestly receives them, or dishonestly undertakes or assists in their retention, removal, disposal or realisation by or for the benefit of another, or arranges to do so. Fourteen years |
| Going equipped (s.25) | When not at his place of abode, has with him any article for use in the course of or in connection with any burglary or theft. Three years |
| Taking a conveyance (s.12) | Without consent of the owner or other lawful authority, takes a conveyance for his own or another's use, or drives it or allows himself to be carried knowing it was taken. Summary only, six months, level 5 or both |
| Aggravated vehicle-taking (s.12A) | The s.12(1) offence with a mechanically propelled vehicle, plus dangerous driving, injury, damage to other property or damage to the vehicle. Two years, or fourteen if an accident caused a death |
| Making off without payment (Theft Act 1978 s.3) | Knowing payment on the spot is required or expected, dishonestly makes off without having paid as required or expected and with intent to avoid payment. Two years on indictment |
| Fraud (Fraud Act 2006 s.1) | False representation (s.2), failing to disclose (s.3) or abuse of position (s.4), with a dishonest intention to gain or to cause loss or risk of loss. Ten years |
| How the College listed it, March 2026 | Six rows under 'Theft and related offences' (burglary, aggravated burglary, robbery, theft, going equipped, aggravated vehicle-taking) and two under Fraud, out of 140 scored questions. That is a count of one sitting only |
The College does not publish a weighting for individual topics in advance. In the March 2026 sergeants subject breakdown (the only sitting we counted), the skill 'Theft and related offences' had six rows and 'Fraud' two, out of 140 scored questions. The College says the breakdown is valid only for that sitting. Treat the figure as a hint about how often the topic appears, not a promise about your paper.
Two sibling pages sit alongside this one: non-fatal offences and defences (grievous bodily harm turns up inside burglary) and PACE searches and arrest (stop and search for stolen articles, entry and seizure).
Theft: sections 1 to 6 Theft Act 1968
Section 1(1): a person is guilty of theft if he dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it. It is immaterial whether the appropriation is made with a view to gain or for the thief's own benefit (s.1(2)). Sections 2 to 6 interpret the five elements. Maximum on conviction on indictment: seven years (s.7).
| Element | Section | What the Act says |
|---|---|---|
| Dishonestly | s.2 | Three situations where the appropriation is not dishonest: belief in a legal right to deprive, belief the owner would consent if he knew, belief the owner cannot be discovered by taking reasonable steps (not for trustees or personal representatives). Willingness to pay does not by itself prevent dishonesty (s.2(2)). Outside those situations, the Ivey test applies (see below) |
| Appropriates | s.3(1) | Any assumption by a person of the rights of an owner. Includes a later assumption of a right by keeping or dealing with property as owner, even where he came by it innocently. Good faith buyers: s.3(2) protects a later assumption of the rights the buyer believed he was acquiring |
| Property | s.4 | Money and all other property, real or personal, including things in action and other intangible property. Special rules: land (s.4(2)), wild mushrooms, flowers, fruit and foliage picked for non-commercial purposes (s.4(3)), wild creatures (s.4(4)). Electricity is dealt with by s.13, not theft |
| Belonging to another | s.5 | Belongs to anyone having possession or control of it or any proprietary right or interest. Extensions for trusts (s.5(2)), property received under an obligation to retain and deal with it in a particular way (s.5(3)), and property obtained by mistake where there is an obligation to restore it (s.5(4)) |
| Intention to permanently deprive | s.6 | Treating the thing as one's own to dispose of regardless of the owner's rights is enough, even without meaning the owner to lose it for ever. A borrowing counts only if for a period and in circumstances equivalent to an outright taking or disposal. Parting with property on a condition as to its return that one may not be able to perform can amount to the same (s.6(2)) |
Dishonesty outside section 2(1)
Where none of the three s.2(1) situations applies, dishonesty is decided by a two-step test. This follows the explanation in our verified practice question crime-b-01, which cites Ivey v Genting Casinos [2017] UKSC 67 and R v Barton and Booth [2020] EWCA Crim 575.
| Step | What the jury decides |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | Establish the defendant's actual state of knowledge or belief as to the facts. The belief need not be reasonable, though reasonableness is evidence of whether it was genuinely held |
| Step 2 | Decide whether the conduct was dishonest by the objective standards of ordinary decent people. The defendant's own view of whether it was dishonest is not the test |
| What changed | The old two-stage Ghosh test, which asked whether the defendant realised that ordinary people would regard the conduct as dishonest, was replaced by Ivey v Genting Casinos [2017] UKSC 67 (a civil case, whose comments on the criminal test were obiter) and confirmed as applying to criminal cases in R v Barton and Booth [2020] EWCA Crim 575 (judgment read on Find Case Law, 4 October 2026) |
Appropriation and consent
Appropriation is any assumption of the rights of an owner (s.3(1)). The verified question bank cites R v Gomez [1993] AC 442 and R v Hinks [2001] 2 AC 241 for the point that a gift or consent does not, on its own, stop the receipt being an appropriation. The owner's consent therefore goes to dishonesty, not to whether there was an appropriation. If you see a vulnerable person who 'agreed' to hand over money, work through dishonesty, and consider fraud by abuse of position under Fraud Act s.4 as well.
What you cannot steal
- Land and things forming part of land, with three exceptions in s.4(2): a trustee, personal representative or person authorised to dispose of land; a person not in possession who severs something from it; and a tenant who appropriates a fixture or structure let with the land.
- Wild mushrooms, flowers, fruit or foliage picked from wild plants, unless picked for reward, sale or other commercial purpose (s.4(3)). 'Mushroom' includes any fungus.
- Wild creatures not tamed or ordinarily kept in captivity, or their carcases, unless reduced into possession by or for another and possession not lost or abandoned, or someone is in the course of reducing them into possession (s.4(4)).
- Electricity. Not property for theft. Section 13 makes it an offence dishonestly to use without due authority, or to cause to be wasted or diverted, any electricity. Maximum five years. The verified question bank cites Low v Blease [1975] Crim LR 513 for the point.
Robbery: section 8
A person is guilty of robbery if he steals, and immediately before or at the time of doing so, and in order to do so, he uses force on any person or puts or seeks to put any person in fear of being then and there subjected to force (s.8(1)). The maximum for robbery, or for an assault with intent to rob, is life imprisonment (s.8(2)).
- There must be a theft. If the theft is not made out (for example because the defendant genuinely believed he had a legal right to the property under s.2(1)(a)), there is no robbery.
- The force or fear must be directed at 'any person'. It need not be the owner.
- Timing. Force must be immediately before or at the time of stealing. A threat to use force next week does not satisfy 'then and there'.
- Purpose. The force must be used in order to steal. Force used for an unrelated reason alongside a theft is not robbery.
- 'Seeks to put'. Robbery can be complete where the defendant seeks to put someone in fear of immediate force, whether or not the person is actually frightened.
A weapon is not an element of robbery. Our verified question crime-9 makes the same point: robbery is theft accompanied by the use or threat of force, immediately before or at the time of the theft, in order to steal. Without that element, the offence is theft, regardless of value or whether a weapon was present. A robbery with a firearm or imitation firearm is a separate matter for the firearms legislation, covered on our drugs and firearms page.
For the detention side of a robbery arrest (relevant time, reviews, extensions) see our PACE Code C page.
Burglary and aggravated burglary: sections 9 and 10
Burglary has two forms, and the most common wrong answer in this topic comes from blending them. Both require entry into a building or part of a building as a trespasser. References to a building, and to a building that is a dwelling, apply also to an inhabited vehicle or vessel, including at times when the person living in it is not there (s.9(4)).
| Form | Entry | What else is needed | Key point |
|---|---|---|---|
| s.9(1)(a) | Enters a building or part of a building as a trespasser | With intent, at the time of entry, to steal, inflict grievous bodily harm or do unlawful damage | Complete on entry. Nothing need be taken or done afterwards. An empty till or an uninjured victim does not matter |
| s.9(1)(b) | Having entered a building or part of a building as a trespasser | Steals or attempts to steal anything in the building or that part, or inflicts or attempts to inflict grievous bodily harm on any person there | No intent needed at entry. Damage is not on this list. The relevant act happens after entry |
Section 9(2) lists the offences for s.9(1)(a): stealing anything in the building or part of it, inflicting grievous bodily harm on any person there, and doing unlawful damage to the building or anything in it. The list in s.9(1)(b) is shorter: stealing or attempting to steal, and inflicting or attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm. That is why criminal damage after a lawful-intent entry is not burglary. Maximum: fourteen years where the building or part of it is a dwelling, otherwise ten (s.9(3)).
Building or part of a building
Our verified question crime-b-07 cites R v Walkington [1979] 1 WLR 1169 for the point that an area from which the public is impliedly excluded, such as behind a shop counter, can be a separate part of the building. A lawful shopper who walks into it intending to steal enters as a trespasser. The offence is complete on entry, so an empty till does not help him. A dwelling boat or caravan is covered by s.9(4) when it is inhabited, whether or not the occupier is there. Our verified question crime-b-09 uses a narrowboat to test the fourteen-year maximum.
Aggravated burglary: section 10
A person is guilty of aggravated burglary if he commits any burglary and at the time has with him any firearm or imitation firearm, any weapon of offence, or any explosive (s.10(1)). The maximum is life imprisonment (s.10(2)).
| Item | Detail from s.10(1) |
|---|---|
| Firearm or imitation firearm | Firearm includes an airgun or air pistol. Imitation firearm is anything with the appearance of being a firearm, whether or not capable of being discharged |
| Weapon of offence | Any article made or adapted for use for causing injury to or incapacitating a person, or intended by the person having it with him for such use. An ordinary kitchen knife can qualify if he intends to use it to injure |
| Explosive | Any article manufactured for the purpose of producing a practical effect by explosion, or intended by the person having it with him for that purpose |
| The timing rule | For s.9(1)(a) the burglary is committed on entry, so the weapon must be with him then. For s.9(1)(b) it is the time of the stealing or the grievous bodily harm (R v O'Leary, as stated in the verified question explanation used on this page) |
For firearms definitions in general, and for how a householder's use of force against a burglar is judged, see our drugs and firearms page and use of force page.
Blackmail: section 21
A person is guilty of blackmail if, with a view to gain for himself or another or with intent to cause loss to another, he makes any unwarranted demand with menaces (s.21(1)). A demand with menaces is unwarranted unless the person making it does so in the belief that (a) he has reasonable grounds for making the demand and (b) the use of the menaces is a proper means of reinforcing it. The nature of the act or omission demanded is immaterial, and it is immaterial whether the menaces relate to action to be taken by the person making the demand (s.21(2)). Maximum: fourteen years (s.21(3)).
- Two beliefs, not one. A genuine debt supports only the first. A defendant who believed he was owed the money still commits the offence unless he also believed the menaces were a proper way to press for it.
- Gain and loss extend only to money or other property, whether temporary or permanent. Gain includes getting what one has not (which can cover money one is owed) and keeping what one has. Loss includes not getting what one might get (s.34(2)(a)).
- Menaces are not limited to threats of violence. Threats to expose someone's private life can count (this comes from case law, which we did not open).
- Goods obtained by blackmail are regarded as stolen for the purposes of handling (s.24(4)).
Handling stolen goods: sections 22 and 24
A person handles stolen goods if, otherwise than in the course of the stealing, knowing or believing them to be stolen goods, he dishonestly receives the goods, or dishonestly undertakes or assists in their retention, removal, disposal or realisation by or for the benefit of another person, or if he arranges to do so (s.22(1)). Maximum: fourteen years (s.22(2)).
- Knowledge or belief that the goods are stolen is required, together with dishonesty. Suspicion alone is not what the section says.
- 'Otherwise than in the course of the stealing'. The thief doing the stealing is charged with theft, not handling.
- What counts as stolen (s.24). The goods originally stolen and parts of them, plus goods that directly or indirectly represent them in the hands of the thief or a handler as proceeds of a disposal or realisation (s.24(2)). It applies to stealing in England and Wales or elsewhere, provided the stealing amounted to an offence where and when the goods were stolen (s.24(1)).
- When goods stop being stolen (s.24(3)). After restoration to the person from whom they were stolen or to other lawful possession or custody, or after that person and any other person claiming through him have otherwise ceased to have any right to restitution. Our verified question crime-b-10 applies this to goods seized into police custody.
- Blackmail and fraud (s.24(4)). Goods obtained by blackmail or by fraud within the meaning of the Fraud Act 2006 are regarded as stolen. For fraud, s.24(5) provides that s.24(1) is read as if references to the commencement of the Act were to the commencement of the Fraud Act 2006 and references to an offence under the Theft Act were to a s.1 Fraud Act offence.
The theft or handling of goods can also sit inside a stop and search. For the power to stop and search for stolen articles and the grounds you need, see the PACE searches and arrest page.
Going equipped: section 25
A person is guilty if, when not at his place of abode, he has with him any article for use in the course of or in connection with any burglary or theft (s.25(1)). Maximum: three years on indictment (s.25(2)). Proof that he had with him an article made or adapted for use in committing a burglary or theft is evidence that he had it with him for such use (s.25(3)). An offence under s.12(1) of taking a conveyance is treated as theft for this section (s.25(5)).
- Place of abode. The offence cannot be committed at the person's place of abode. The Act does not define it further in s.25.
- Made or adapted is evidence, not an element. An ordinary screwdriver is covered if intended for the purpose.
- Possession for fraud articles. Fraud Act s.6 covers possession or control of articles for use in or in connection with any fraud (five years), and s.8 says article includes electronic programs and data. Do not use s.25 for fraud articles: it covers burglary and theft only.
Taking a conveyance, aggravated vehicle-taking and interference
These offences exist because a joyrider often has no intention to permanently deprive, so theft cannot be proved. They are separate offences with their own elements.
| Offence | Elements | Penalty and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Taking without consent (s.12(1)) | Takes a conveyance without consent or lawful authority for his own or another's use, or, knowing it has been taken, drives it or allows himself to be carried in or on it | No intention to permanently deprive is needed. Summary only. Level 5 fine, six months or both. A defence of belief in lawful authority or in the owner's consent (s.12(6)) |
| Pedal cycles (s.12(5)) | Taking or riding a pedal cycle without consent or lawful authority. The main s.12(1) offence does not apply to pedal cycles | Summary only, fine not exceeding level 3. The belief defence in s.12(6) applies |
| Aggravated vehicle-taking (s.12A) | The s.12(1) offence in relation to a mechanically propelled vehicle, plus proof that after the vehicle was unlawfully taken and before it was recovered it was driven dangerously on a road or other public place, an accident caused injury, an accident caused damage to property other than the vehicle, or damage was caused to the vehicle | Indictment: two years, or fourteen if an accident caused the death of the person concerned. Defendant may avoid liability by proving the driving, accident or damage occurred before he committed the basic offence, or that he was neither in, on nor in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle at the time (s.12A(3)). If acquitted but the basic offence is proved, he may be convicted of that (s.12A(5)) |
| Interference with vehicles (Criminal Attempts Act 1981 s.9) | Interferes with a motor vehicle or trailer, or with anything carried in or on it, with the intention that theft of the vehicle or part of it, theft of something carried, or a s.12(1) offence will be committed by himself or another | Summary only. Up to three months, level 4 fine or both. It is immaterial which of the three offences he intended, if one is shown |
'Conveyance' means any conveyance constructed or adapted for the carriage of a person or persons by land, water or air, with an exception for conveyances constructed or adapted for use only under the control of a person not carried in or on them (s.12(7)(a)). 'Drive' is construed accordingly. 'Owner' of a hired or hire-purchase conveyance means the person in possession under the agreement (s.12(7)(b)). A prospective amendment by the Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (Sch. 2 para. 1), shown on legislation.gov.uk on 5 October 2026 as not yet in force, will extend 'conveyance' to vehicles authorised under s.3 of that Act.
For a mechanically propelled vehicle, proceedings for the s.12(1) offence must not be commenced more than three years after the offence, and subject to that may be commenced within six months beginning with the day sufficient evidence came to the prosecutor's knowledge (s.12(4A) and (4B)). A prosecutor's certificate of that day is conclusive (s.12(4C)). These provisions displace the ordinary six-month limit for summary offences. They do not apply where the s.12(1) offence is an alternative verdict on an indictment for theft: s.12(4A) excludes proceedings falling within s.12(4).
Aggravated vehicle-taking applies to anyone who commits the basic offence in relation to a mechanically propelled vehicle, which includes allowing himself to be carried. The aggravating circumstances can occur whether the vehicle was taken by the defendant or another (s.12A(1)(b)), and the s.12A(2) circumstances do not require that he was the driver. A vehicle is driven dangerously if it falls far below what would be expected of a competent and careful driver and it would be obvious to such a driver that driving in that way would be dangerous (s.12A(7)). It is recovered when restored to its owner or to other lawful possession or custody (s.12A(8)). For wider road policing law see our road policing law page.
Making off without payment: Theft Act 1978 section 3
A person who, knowing that payment on the spot for any goods supplied or service done is required or expected from him, dishonestly makes off without having paid as required or expected and with intent to avoid payment of the amount due, is guilty of an offence (s.3(1)). 'Payment on the spot' includes payment at the time of collecting goods on which work has been done or in respect of which service has been provided (s.3(2)). The section does not apply where the supply of the goods or the doing of the service is contrary to law, or where the service done is such that payment is not legally enforceable (s.3(3)).
- Maximum: two years on conviction on indictment (s.4(2)(b) of the 1978 Act). The Act also provides for summary conviction.
- The deferred payment trap. Our verified question crime-b-22 cites R v Vincent [2001] EWCA Crim 295: where the supplier has agreed to defer payment, payment on the spot is no longer expected, even if the agreement was obtained dishonestly. Think of fraud by false representation (Fraud Act s.2) instead.
- Why the 1978 Act still matters. Most of the 1978 Act was replaced by the Fraud Act 2006, but s.3 remains in force. We checked s.3 and s.4 only. Related: obtaining services dishonestly is s.11 Fraud Act 2006 (five years).
Fraud Act 2006, sections 1 to 8 and 11, briefly
Fraud is committed in any of three ways (s.1): by false representation (s.2), by failing to disclose information (s.3), or by abuse of position (s.4). Maximum on indictment: ten years (s.1(3)(b)). In each case the dishonest intention is to make a gain for himself or another, or to cause loss to another or expose another to a risk of loss. The offence is about the defendant's conduct and intention, so it does not depend on a gain or loss actually occurring.
| Offence | Section | Elements and maximum | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fraud by false representation | s.2 | Dishonestly makes a false representation (untrue or misleading, and he knows it is or might be) intending to gain or to cause loss or expose another to a risk of loss. Can be express or implied. May be made to a system or device | The offence is about what he intended by the representation. It does not require that anyone was actually deceived or that any gain or loss followed |
| Fraud by failing to disclose | s.3 | Dishonestly fails to disclose to another information which he is under a legal duty to disclose, intending gain or loss as above | A legal duty is needed, not just a moral one |
| Fraud by abuse of position | s.4 | Occupies a position in which he is expected to safeguard, or not to act against, the financial interests of another, dishonestly abuses it, intending gain or loss as above. May be an omission (s.4(2)) | The carer, employee or trustee scenarios |
| Gain and loss | s.5 | Gain and loss extend only to money or other property, temporary or permanent. Gain includes keeping what one has. Loss includes not getting what one might get | Same definitions as s.34(2)(a) of the Theft Act 1968 |
| Possession of articles for use in fraud | s.6 | Has in his possession or under his control any article for use in the course of or in connection with any fraud. Five years on indictment | Article includes programs and data held in electronic form (s.8) |
| Making or supplying articles for use in fraud | s.7 | Makes, adapts, supplies or offers to supply any article knowing it is designed or adapted for fraud, or intending it to be used for fraud. Ten years on indictment | Compare s.25 Theft Act for burglary and theft articles |
Our verified bank includes questions on possession of articles for use in fraud (crime-15, citing R v Sakalauskas [2013] EWCA Crim 2278, which the National Archives judgment spells Sakalouskas), abuse of position by an employee who ignores a debt (crime-b-13) and a ticketless festival entrant (crime-b-14, s.11). We have not used those as worked questions on this page, but the Manual's chapter 1.15 is where the detail sits.
Maximum penalties: a quick-reference table
| Offence | Provision | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Theft | s.7 Theft Act 1968 | Seven years |
| Robbery, assault with intent to rob | s.8(2) | Life |
| Burglary of a dwelling | s.9(3)(a) | Fourteen years |
| Burglary of any other building | s.9(3)(b) | Ten years |
| Aggravated burglary | s.10(2) | Life |
| Blackmail | s.21(3) | Fourteen years |
| Handling stolen goods | s.22(2) | Fourteen years |
| Going equipped | s.25(2) | Three years |
| Taking a conveyance | s.12(2) | Summary only: level 5 fine, six months or both |
| Aggravated vehicle-taking | s.12A(4) | Two years; fourteen years if an accident caused death |
| Abstracting electricity | s.13 | Five years |
| Making off without payment | Theft Act 1978 s.4(2)(b) | Two years on indictment |
| Fraud | Fraud Act 2006 s.1(3) | Ten years on indictment |
| Possession of articles for fraud | Fraud Act 2006 s.6(2) | Five years on indictment |
| Making or supplying articles for fraud | Fraud Act 2006 s.7(2) | Ten years on indictment |
| Obtaining services dishonestly | Fraud Act 2006 s.11(3) | Five years on indictment |
| Interference with vehicles | Criminal Attempts Act 1981 s.9(3) | Summary only: three months, level 4 fine or both |
Maximums are the figures shown in the sections as revised on legislation.gov.uk. A question about 'the maximum sentence' means the statutory maximum for the offence, not what a court would impose. For the summary-only offences listed, the statute states the limit in the same subsection. We have not checked sentencing guidelines, and the exam tests the statute as it appears in the Manual.
The traps
Multiple-choice questions on this topic tend to turn on one fact in the stem that decides which section applies. Read the stem for the timing (when was the intent formed, when was the force used, when did he pick up the weapon), for the place (a part of a building, a place of abode) and for what the property is (money, land, electricity, wild plants).
| Trap | Typical stem | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Force that is only a threat of future harm | 'Give me your phone or I'll beat you up next week' | Not robbery. Section 8 needs force, or fear of being then and there subjected to force. Look at theft and blackmail instead |
| Force after the theft is over | A shoplifter leaves with goods and later uses violence to get away | The statute requires force immediately before or at the time of stealing and in order to steal. The Manual's treatment of when an appropriation is finished is the place to check; do not assume that any force near a theft is robbery |
| Intent formed after entry | A trespasser walks in meaning to take his own belongings, then smashes the television | No burglary. Under s.9(1)(a) the intent must exist on entry, and criminal damage is not a s.9(1)(b) act. The charge is criminal damage |
| A lawful visitor entering a part he may not enter | A customer goes behind the staff-only counter intending to take from the till | Burglary under s.9(1)(a): entry into part of a building as a trespasser with intent to steal. The empty till is irrelevant |
| When the weapon must be held | Unarmed burglar picks up a knife inside, later stabs the householder while stealing | For s.9(1)(b) the relevant time is the stealing or grievous bodily harm, so aggravated burglary can be charged |
| Owner consented, so no theft? | A carer persuades a vulnerable client to give her £8,000 | Consent obtained dishonestly does not stop it being an appropriation (Gomez; Hinks, as explained in verified question crime-b-02). Look at theft and at Fraud Act s.4 |
| Repaying equivalent money | Manager takes £300 from the till planning to replace it on Monday | Still capable of being an intention to permanently deprive (s.6(1); Velumyl). Willingness to pay does not stop an appropriation being dishonest (s.2(2)) |
| Finding and keeping | Wallet found with name and address, cash kept | Section 2(1)(c) protects only a genuine belief that the owner cannot be discovered by taking reasonable steps. An address on a licence is strong evidence against that belief. Section 3(1) makes a later keeping an appropriation |
| Goods that stopped being stolen | Police recover stolen laptops, then let a buyer collect them in an operation | No full handling offence because goods restored to lawful custody are no longer stolen (s.24(3)). Attempted handling can be charged on the facts as he believed them to be (Criminal Attempts Act 1981 s.1(2) and (3)) |
| Goods obtained by fraud or blackmail | Television bought using stolen card details, kept by a relative | Regarded as stolen for handling (s.24(4)). Do not answer 'no theft, so no handling' |
| Taking a car to dump it | Man with a bunch of keys and a screwdriver at 2am, says he will take a car for a spin and dump it | Taking a conveyance is not theft, but s.25(5) treats a s.12(1) offence as theft for going equipped. The article does not need to be made or adapted for the purpose |
| Deferred payment and making off | Guest persuades the owner to let him pay next week, never intending to | Making off is unlikely to succeed once payment on the spot is no longer expected (R v Vincent, as cited in the verified question). Consider Fraud Act s.2 |
| Electricity | Meter bypassed with a cable | Electricity is not property under s.4, so not theft (Low v Blease). Section 13 abstracting electricity is the charge |
| Mushrooms and flowers | Man leaves woodland with 20 kg of wild mushrooms picked without permission | Section 4(3): picking wild mushrooms, flowers, fruit or foliage is not theft unless done for reward, sale or other commercial purpose. Read the facts for a commercial purpose |
| Debt and blackmail | Builder threatens to tell the customer's employer unless she pays what she owes | Both beliefs are needed to make a demand warranted: reasonable grounds for the demand and that the menaces are a proper means. A real debt answers only the first |
Several of the best-known distractors offer the most serious-sounding offence: robbery for a future threat, aggravated burglary for an unarmed entry, theft for a car taking. The correct answer is usually the offence whose elements the stem actually satisfies, which can be a lesser offence (criminal damage, theft, blackmail, taking a conveyance or fraud).
Six mistakes to stop making
- Reading 'burglary' as one offence. The two forms have different mental elements and different lists of acts. Always ask which subsection the facts fit.
- Treating any force near a theft as robbery. Force must be used in order to steal, and immediately before or at the time of stealing.
- Calling a car taking 'theft'. It is the separate s.12(1) offence, summary only, with no intention to permanently deprive required.
- Forgetting that goods can stop being stolen. Restoration to the owner or other lawful possession or custody ends the status (s.24(3)). Police custody can count as lawful custody (see crime-b-10).
- Using the old Ghosh dishonesty test. The bank's verified explanation says Ivey replaced it and Barton and Booth applied Ivey to criminal law.
- Quoting the wrong maximum. Dwelling burglary is fourteen years, other burglary ten, aggravated burglary life, theft seven, handling and blackmail fourteen.
Worked questions from our verified bank
The six questions below are original practice questions written for our toolkit and checked by us against the legislation. They are not real, past or leaked exam questions, and they are not endorsed by the College of Policing or Oxford University Press. They are pulled by identifier from the same bank the toolkit uses, so what you see here is the verified text. The correct option is marked, and the explanation says why the others fail.
Outside a school, a 16-year-old tells a younger pupil: 'Give me your phone, or I'll find you after school next week and beat you up.' The frightened pupil hands it over and the older youth walks off. Why is this not robbery?
Section 8(1) Theft Act 1968 requires force on any person, or putting or seeking to put any person in fear of being then and there subjected to force, immediately before or at the time of stealing and in order to steal. A threat of violence next week does not meet the 'then and there' requirement. A threat can be enough for robbery if it is of immediate force, so the first option is wrong; theft (consent obtained by threats does not prevent appropriation) and blackmail should be considered here.
Source: Theft Act 1968 ss.8 and 21
A man goes into his former partner's house, knowing he has no permission to be there, intending only to collect his own belongings. Once inside he loses his temper and smashes her television. He steals nothing and injures nobody. Has he committed burglary?
Under s.9(1)(a) Theft Act 1968 the intent to steal, inflict grievous bodily harm or do unlawful damage must exist at the moment of entry as a trespasser; taking back his own property is not an intent to steal. Section 9(1)(b) is limited to stealing or attempting to steal, and inflicting or attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm, after entry. Unlawful damage appears only in the s.9(1)(a) list, so the correct charge here is criminal damage, not burglary.
Source: Theft Act 1968 s.9(1) and (2)
During opening hours a customer in a department store walks round behind a staff-only till counter, intending to take cash from the till. He pulls the drawer open but it is empty, and he walks away. Which offence is best made out?
Section 9(1) Theft Act 1968 applies to entry into a building or part of a building. The Court of Appeal in R v Walkington held that the area behind a shop counter, from which customers are impliedly excluded, can be a separate part of the building, so a lawful shopper becomes a trespasser by entering it. Burglary under s.9(1)(a) is complete on entry with intent to steal; the empty till is irrelevant. Going equipped requires an article for use in theft, which is not described here.
Source: Theft Act 1968 s.9(1)(a); R v Walkington [1979] 1 WLR 1169
A burglar enters a house as a trespasser, unarmed, intending to steal. In the kitchen he picks up a kitchen knife. Upstairs the householder confronts him; he stabs her, causing grievous bodily harm, and leaves with a laptop. Can aggravated burglary be charged?
Section 10(1) Theft Act 1968 requires the burglar to have a weapon of offence (among other things) with him at the time of the burglary. For a s.9(1)(a) burglary that is the moment of entry, but for s.9(1)(b) it is the time of the stealing or inflicting of grievous bodily harm (R v O'Leary). A kitchen knife becomes a weapon of offence when the person having it with him intends to use it to cause injury. Aggravated burglary carries a maximum of life imprisonment.
Source: Theft Act 1968 ss.9(1)(b) and 10; R v O'Leary (1986) 82 Cr App R 341
On a Friday a shop manager takes £300 in banknotes from the till to spend over the weekend. He tells officers he always intended to put £300 of his own money back on Monday so the shop would not lose out. On the question of intention to permanently deprive, which statement is correct?
The property appropriated is the specific notes, and he intended to spend them, treating them as his own to dispose of regardless of the owner's rights (s.6(1) Theft Act 1968). The Court of Appeal in R v Velumyl held that an intention to replace taken money with its equivalent does not prevent an intention to permanently deprive. His plan to repay may be relevant to dishonesty, but s.2(2) provides that an appropriation can be dishonest even though the person is willing to pay.
Source: Theft Act 1968 ss.2(2) and 6(1); R v Velumyl [1989] Crim LR 299
A guest with no money stays a week at a guest house. On the last morning he persuades the owner to let him leave and pay next week, falsely claiming his wages have been delayed. He never intended to pay and never does. What is the best advice on charge?
Section 3(1) Theft Act 1978 requires the defendant to make off without paying 'as required or expected', knowing payment on the spot is required or expected. In R v Vincent the Court of Appeal held that where the supplier has agreed to defer payment, payment on the spot is no longer expected, even if the agreement was obtained dishonestly. His false statement about his wages, made dishonestly to gain by keeping his money or cause loss, fits fraud by false representation under s.2 Fraud Act 2006.
Source: Theft Act 1978 s.3; R v Vincent [2001] EWCA Crim 295; Fraud Act 2006 s.2
Want more on this topic in a timed, mixed format? We built the free mini mock as a short sample, and our toolkit (we make it, so weigh that accordingly) has the rest of the bank with progress tracking at the exam prep toolkit. The Blackstone's Manuals remain the syllabus.
Where this sits in Blackstone's: chapter map
The chapter numbers below are Blackstone's 2026 edition chapters, as listed in Appendix A of the College's 2026 candidate handbook (September 2025). We could not fetch the 2027 handbook's Appendix A on 4 October 2026, so we have not verified the 2027 edition's numbering. Check the contents page of the edition set for your sitting before using these numbers.
| Chapter | Title | What it covers | How we would treat it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.14.1 | Introduction | Context for the Theft Act 1968 offences | Read first, quickly |
| 1.14.2 | Theft | Ss.1 to 7: dishonesty, appropriation, property, belonging to another, intention to permanently deprive | Highest priority. Make cards for every s.2 situation and every s.4 exception |
| 1.14.3 | Robbery | S.8: force, fear of being then and there subjected to force, timing | High. Practise telling robbery from theft with a threat |
| 1.14.4 | Blackmail | S.21: unwarranted demand with menaces, the two beliefs, gain and loss | Medium |
| 1.14.5 | Burglary | S.9: two forms, trespasser, building and part of a building, inhabited vehicles and vessels | Highest priority. Draw the two forms side by side |
| 1.14.6 | Aggravated Burglary | S.10: firearm, weapon of offence, explosive, timing | High |
| 1.14.7 | Taking a Conveyance without Consent | S.12: elements, defences, pedal cycles, time limits | Medium. Do not confuse with theft |
| 1.14.8 | Aggravated Vehicle-taking | S.12A: the four circumstances, defence, alternative verdict | Medium |
| 1.14.9 | Interfering with Vehicles | Criminal Attempts Act 1981 s.9 | Low to medium. Short |
| 1.14.10 | Going Equipped | S.25: not at place of abode, article, evidence of intent | Medium |
| 1.14.11 | Handling Stolen Goods | Ss.22 and 24: forms of handling, what counts as stolen, when goods stop being stolen | Medium to high |
| 1.14.12 | Making off Without Payment | Theft Act 1978 s.3 | Medium. Short, with a known trap |
| 1.14.13 | Proceeds of Crime | Not covered on this page | Read the Manual chapter separately |
| 1.15 | Fraud (1.15.1 to 1.15.10) | Fraud Act 2006: fraud, gain and loss, false representation, failing to disclose, abuse of position, articles, obtaining services, false accounting | Brief coverage here (ss.1 to 8 and s.11). The rest of the chapter is for your own reading |
The priorities in the right-hand column are our own judgement, not a College weighting. Chapter 1.15 is a separate chapter in the same volume, so a fraud question can sit next to a theft question and share the 'gain and loss' definitions. Related sibling pages are linked at the foot of this guide.
Worked scenarios
These scenarios use the same facts as the verified practice questions above and the traps table, written as short reasoning exercises.
A 16-year-old tells a younger pupil outside school: 'Give me your phone, or I'll find you after school next week and beat you up.' The pupil hands it over. Robbery fails because s.8 requires fear of being then and there subjected to force, and next week is not then and there. The theft analysis is unaffected, since consent obtained by threats does not prevent appropriation. A demand with menaces made with a view to gain is also the shape of blackmail. In an exam question, find the offence that matches the facts, not the most serious-sounding one.
A man enters his former partner's house knowing he has no permission, intending only to collect his own belongings. Once inside he loses his temper and smashes her television. The question is intent at the moment of entry. Collecting his own property is not an intent to steal (and s.2(1)(a) deals with a belief in a legal right to deprive). So s.9(1)(a) fails. Section 9(1)(b) lists stealing and grievous bodily harm after entry, not damage. The answer is criminal damage, not burglary.
A customer in a department store, during opening hours, walks round behind a staff-only till counter intending to take cash, opens the drawer and finds it empty. He had permission to be in the shop but not behind the counter. The stem tells you what he intended on entering that part, so s.9(1)(a) is complete on entry. The empty till is a distraction. 'Going equipped' is another distraction: the question describes no article.
A burglar enters unarmed intending to steal, picks up a kitchen knife, stabs the householder upstairs causing grievous bodily harm and leaves with a laptop. Do not stop at 'he was unarmed on entry'. For a s.9(1)(a) burglary the weapon must be with him on entry, but for s.9(1)(b) the relevant time is the stealing or the infliction of harm, and he had the knife then. Aggravated burglary can be charged. 'Robbery and wounding instead' is a wrong option because force used on an occupant does not stop burglary being available.
A manager takes £300 from the till on Friday to spend over the weekend, meaning to put £300 of his own money back on Monday. The notes he took are the property appropriated, and he intended to spend them as his own. That is an intention to treat the thing as his own to dispose of regardless of the owner's rights (s.6(1)). His plan to repay is not a defence on intention, and s.2(2) says an appropriation can be dishonest even if the person is willing to pay. Dishonesty is still for the jury under the Ivey test.
A guest with no money stays a week. On the last morning he persuades the owner to let him pay next week, falsely claiming delayed wages, never intending to pay. Making off without payment under the 1978 Act requires making off without paying as required or expected, knowing payment on the spot is required or expected. Once the owner agreed to defer payment, payment on the spot was no longer expected, even though the agreement was dishonestly obtained. The false statement fits fraud by false representation under Fraud Act s.2 better.
Theft Act revision checklist
- Can write out s.1 and name the section that defines each of the five elements.
- Can list the three s.2(1) situations and apply s.2(2).
- Can state the modern two-step dishonesty test and why Ghosh is no longer used.
- Knows the s.3(1) rule on later keeping, and the s.3(2) good faith purchaser rule.
- Knows the s.4 exceptions: land, wild mushrooms, flowers, fruit and foliage, wild creatures, and that electricity falls under s.13.
- Can explain s.6 borrowing and replacing money.
- Can explain 'then and there' and 'in order to steal' for robbery.
- Can draw s.9(1)(a) and s.9(1)(b) side by side and say what each list contains.
- Can apply the s.10 timing rule for each form of burglary.
- Can recite the maximum penalties in the table above without looking.
- Can state both beliefs needed for a warranted demand under s.21.
- Knows when goods stop being stolen (s.24(3)) and that fraud and blackmail goods are regarded as stolen (s.24(4)).
- Knows what s.25(5) does for the TWOC joyrider.
- Has done at least two timed mixed sets with theft, burglary and robbery questions in them.
Next steps: read non-fatal offences and defences, then build a timetable with our sergeant exam revision plan.
What we could not verify
- Blackstone's 2027 chapter numbers. The chapter map uses the 2026 edition per the September 2025 handbook. The 2027 handbook Appendix A could not be fetched from our environment.
- How the Manual words each point. We read the statutes, not the Manuals. Where the Manual's treatment differs in emphasis, the exam follows the Manual. The case names on this page come from our verified question bank. On 4 October 2026 we read the judgment text of Barton and Booth and of Sakalouskas on the National Archives Find Case Law site, the Supreme Court's case page for Ivey, and the CPS Theft Act offences guidance, which cites Vincent and Gomez. Walkington and O'Leary were confirmed only from secondary case summaries. We could not open any source for Hinks, Velumyl or Low v Blease, so those three rest on the bank explanation alone and bailii.org was not reachable.
- Robbery timing and continuing appropriation. We have not set out how the courts treat when an appropriation ends for the purposes of s.8. Read the Manual's robbery section for it.
- Mens rea of trespass. We have not covered what the defendant must know about his status as a trespasser, which is for the Manual's burglary section.
- Low-value shoplifting. We have not covered how value affects the mode of trial for theft. On 5 October 2026 legislation.gov.uk showed s.22A Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 (shoplifting of goods worth £200 or less triable only summarily, unless an adult elects Crown Court trial) still in force, and Crime and Policing Act 2026 s.47, which omits s.22A for offences committed after it comes into force, as prospective. None of the three commencement regulations so far brings s.47 into force. Check the Manual.
- Crime and Policing Act 2026 s.171 commencement. New Theft Act ss.26A to 26C were not in force at Royal Assent and are commenced by regulations. On 4 October 2026 legislation.gov.uk showed s.171 as prospective and none of the three commencement regulations so far (SI 2026/689, 2026/939, 2026/960) covers it, but new regulations can follow. We do not know whether your edition covers them.
- Proceeds of crime (1.14.13), false accounting and the rest of 1.15. Not covered here.
- Topic weighting for future papers. The only figure we have is a count of rows in the March 2026 breakdown. The College says it is valid only for that sitting.
- The College handbook text for 2027. The College's main site was not reachable from our environment on 4 October 2026, so the 2027 candidate handbook was not re-read for this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between theft and robbery?
Robbery under s.8 Theft Act 1968 is theft plus force. The defendant must steal and, immediately before or at the time of doing so and in order to do so, use force on any person or put or seek to put any person in fear of being then and there subjected to force. Without the force or the threat of immediate force, the offence is theft, whatever the value and whether or not a weapon was present.
Does a threat of future violence make a taking a robbery?
No. Section 8(1) requires fear of being then and there subjected to force. A demand for property backed by a threat to beat someone up next week fails that test, so it is not robbery. Theft and blackmail should be considered instead, because consent obtained by threats does not stop the taking being an appropriation, and a demand with menaces can be blackmail.
When must the intent for burglary exist?
It depends on which form of burglary you are looking at. Under s.9(1)(a) the intent to steal, inflict grievous bodily harm or do unlawful damage must exist when the defendant enters as a trespasser. Under s.9(1)(b) no intent at entry is needed: the offence is committed if, having entered as a trespasser, the defendant steals or attempts to steal, or inflicts or attempts to inflict grievous bodily harm.
Is criminal damage inside a building burglary?
Only under s.9(1)(a), and only if the intent to do unlawful damage existed on entry. Section 9(1)(b) covers stealing and grievous bodily harm after entry but not damage. A trespasser who forms the intent to smash things only after getting inside has committed criminal damage, not burglary. This is a favourite trap because the two subsections look alike.
When does burglary become aggravated burglary?
Section 10 applies when a person commits any burglary and at the time has with him a firearm or imitation firearm, a weapon of offence or an explosive. For a s.9(1)(a) burglary the relevant time is entry. For a s.9(1)(b) burglary it is the time of the stealing or the grievous bodily harm, so a burglar who picks up a knife inside the house and still has it with him when he steals can commit the aggravated offence. The maximum is life imprisonment.
Can a customer in a shop be a burglar?
Yes, in principle. Section 9 applies to a building or part of a building, and a person who has permission to be in one part of a building is a trespasser if he enters a part that he is not permitted to enter. The Court of Appeal in R v Walkington treated the area behind a shop counter as a separate part. If he entered it intending to steal, burglary under s.9(1)(a) is complete on entry, even if the till is empty.
Does intending to give property back stop it being theft?
Not necessarily. Section 6(1) treats a person as intending to permanently deprive if he intends to treat the thing as his own to dispose of regardless of the owner's rights. Taking banknotes with a plan to replace them with equivalent money was held in R v Velumyl to be an intention to permanently deprive. A borrowing counts only if it is for a period and in circumstances equivalent to an outright taking. Willingness to pay does not by itself stop an appropriation being dishonest (s.2(2)).
Is taking a car without consent theft?
Usually not, because the person taking it for a joyride often has no intention to permanently deprive. Taking a conveyance without consent under s.12(1) is a separate offence that does not require that intention. It is a summary only offence, with a maximum of six months, a level 5 fine or both. If the vehicle was driven or damaged in one of the ways listed in s.12A(2), aggravated vehicle-taking can be charged, with a maximum of two years or fourteen years if an accident caused a death.
Can you be guilty of handling goods obtained by fraud?
Yes. Section 24(4) Theft Act 1968 says goods obtained in England and Wales or elsewhere by blackmail or by fraud within the meaning of the Fraud Act 2006 are regarded as stolen. So someone who knowingly keeps a television that her brother obtained using another person's card details can be charged with handling. Remember also that goods stop being stolen once restored to the owner or to other lawful possession or custody, which can include police custody (s.24(3) and verified question crime-b-10).
What is going equipped and when does it apply?
Under s.25 a person who, when not at his place of abode, has with him any article for use in the course of or in connection with any burglary or theft is guilty of going equipped. The maximum is three years on indictment. Proof that the article was made or adapted for burglary or theft is evidence of the intended use, but ordinary articles such as a screwdriver are covered if they are intended for that use. By s.25(5) an offence of taking a conveyance under s.12(1) is treated as theft for this purpose.
Is a demand for money you are genuinely owed blackmail?
It can be. A demand with menaces is unwarranted unless the person making it believes both that he has reasonable grounds for making the demand and that the use of the menaces is a proper means of reinforcing it. A genuine debt answers only the first belief. Threatening to expose someone's private life to force payment may well fail the second, because the question is whether he actually believed the menaces were a proper means. Gain includes getting what one has not, which can cover money owed (s.34(2)(a)), and menaces are not limited to threats of violence.
Does the exam test the Fraud Act 2006 as part of this topic?
The College's March 2026 subject breakdown lists fraud as its own skill within Crime, separate from theft and related offences, and the Manual has it as chapter 1.15 in the 2026 edition. For this page we cover only ss.1 to 5 and the connected articles offences briefly, because a fraud offence is often the alternative charge to consider beside a Theft Act one. The exam tests only the law as it appears in the Manuals edition for the sitting.
Is the new power to search for electronically tracked stolen goods examinable?
We cannot say. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 section 171 inserts new ss.26A to 26C into the Theft Act 1968 (a power for an inspector to authorise warrantless search where tracking data shows stolen items on premises). On legislation.gov.uk on 4 October 2026 it is shown as prospective (not in force at Royal Assent), and none of the three commencement regulations made so far under the Act (SI 2026/689, 2026/939 and 2026/960) mentions s.171. The exam tests the law as it appears in the Manuals edition for the sitting, so check whether your edition mentions it.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 4 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.
- Theft Act 1968 (legislation.gov.uk, latest revised version) — ss.1 to 6 (theft and its definitions), s.7 (seven years), s.8 (robbery, life), s.9 (burglary, 14 years dwelling and 10 otherwise, inhabited vehicles and vessels), s.10 (aggravated burglary, life), s.12 (taking a conveyance, summary only, time limits in s.12(4A) to (4C)), s.12A (aggravated vehicle-taking, two years or fourteen if death), s.13 (abstracting electricity, five years), s.21 (blackmail, fourteen years), s.22 (handling, fourteen years), s.24 (scope of stolen goods), s.25 (going equipped, three years), s.34 (gain and loss). All opened and read on 4 October 2026 (accessed 4 October 2026)
- Theft Act 1978, s.3 and s.4 (legislation.gov.uk) — making off without payment: elements in s.3(1) to (3), and the maximum of two years on indictment in s.4(2)(b). Only these two sections of the 1978 Act were checked; the rest of the Act was largely replaced by the Fraud Act 2006 (accessed 4 October 2026)
- Fraud Act 2006, ss.1 to 8 and s.11 (legislation.gov.uk) — s.1 (three routes, ten years), s.2 false representation, s.3 failing to disclose, s.4 abuse of position, s.5 gain and loss, s.6 possession of articles (five years), s.7 making or supplying articles (ten years), s.8 article includes electronic programs and data, s.11 obtaining services dishonestly (five years) (accessed 4 October 2026)
- Criminal Attempts Act 1981, s.9 (legislation.gov.uk) — interference with motor vehicles: summary only, up to three months, level 4 fine or both (accessed 4 October 2026)
- Crime and Policing Act 2026, ss.171 and 255 (legislation.gov.uk) — inserts ss.26A to 26C into the Theft Act 1968; marked 'not in force at Royal Assent' and brought into force by regulations under s.255(1). On 4 October 2026 it was shown as prospective, and we read the three commencement regulations listed on legislation.gov.uk (SI 2026/689, 2026/939 and 2026/960): none brings s.171 into force. The Act's enactment date is shown as 29 April 2026 (accessed 4 October 2026)
- College of Policing: NPPF step two legal examinations candidate handbook 2026 (PDF, September 2025), Appendix A — the 2026 edition chapter list used in our chapter map: 1.14 Theft and Related Offences (1.14.1 to 1.14.13) and 1.15 Fraud (1.15.1 to 1.15.10). The 2027 handbook Appendix A could not be fetched from our environment on 4 October 2026 (accessed 4 October 2026)
- College of Policing: NPPF sergeants' subject area breakdown, March 2026 (PDF) — we counted six rows under the skill 'Theft and related offences' (aggravated burglary, aggravated vehicle-taking, burglary, going equipped, robbery, theft) and two under 'Fraud' (fraud by false representation, gain and loss). A count of that one sitting only; the College says it should not be used to predict later papers (accessed 4 October 2026)
- College of Policing: NPPF step two exam hub and candidate handbook (2027 version) — syllabus only contained within the Blackstone's Police Manuals edition for the sitting. Not reachable directly from our environment on 4 October 2026, so this statement rests on our own earlier reading of the page as recorded in our other promotion guides (accessed 4 October 2026)
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