Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to prevent people performing citizens' arrests being prosecuted.

Section 24a of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 gives citizens a power of arrest for indictable offences. Liability to be prosecuted as a result of making such an arrest is an operational matter for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service.

The Crown Prosecution Service has published comprehensive guidance on this matter on its website. This can be found at the following link:
http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/s_to_u/self_defence/#Civilian_Powers_of