List of defunct law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom


Due to various acts of Parliament the numbers of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom has varied drastically since the Metropolitan Police Act 1829 set up the first modern police force in London.
There are currently over 60 law enforcement agencies operating in the United Kingdom. See List of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories for these.
For former law enforcement agencies, see :Category:Defunct law enforcement agencies of the United Kingdom. For defunct police forces, see :Category:Defunct police forces of the United Kingdom

England and Wales police forces

Abolished before 1889

The County Police Act 1840 allowed for borough police forces to voluntarily amalgamate with county constabularies.

Abolished under the Local Government Act 1888

The Local Government Act 1888, which came into force in 1889 passed control of county constabularies to standing joint committees of county councillors and magistrates, and merged smaller borough police forces with the county police.

Abolished 1890–1942

Abolished under the Defence (Amalgamation of Police Forces) Regulations 1942

The Defence Regulations 1942 were emergency wartime regulations made under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939.
NB – Some were re-constituted after the war but then abolished in 1946.

Abolished under the Police Act 1946

;Non-county borough forces
;County borough forces
;County forces

Abolished under the Police Act 1964

;Borough forces
;County/combined forces

Abolished by the Local Government Act 1972

All territorial police forces in England and Wales were abolished and reconstituted at midnight on 31 March 1974/1 April 1974. This list shows the ones that existed then and their fate.

Irish police forces

The partition of Ireland under the terms of the Government of Ireland Act 1920 and the subsequent independence of the Irish Free State in 1922 led to the replacement of the Royal Irish Constabulary with the Garda Síochána and by the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Defunct police forces in Ireland:

Scottish police forces

Each police burgh had a police force originally, although many merged in the 19th century. The gradual process of amalgamation culminated with the creation of a single Police Service of Scotland in 2013.
;Abolished 1930
The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 merged two pairs of county constabularies.
  • Kinross-shire County Constabulary to Perthshire and Kinross-shire Constabulary
  • Morayshire County Constabulary to Moray and Nairn Constabulary
  • Nairnshire Constabulary to Moray and Nairn Constabulary
  • Perthshire County Constabulary to Perthshire and Kinross-shire Constabulary
;Abolished 1931–1946
  • Lerwick Burgh Police 29 May 1940 to Zetland Constabulary
  • Zetland County Police 29 May 1940 to Zetland Constabulary
;Abolished under the Police (Scotland) Act 1946:
  • Aberdeenshire Constabulary 16 May 1949 to Scottish North Eastern Counties Constabulary
  • Banffshire Constabulary 16 May 1949 to Scottish North Eastern Counties Constabulary
  • Berwickshire Constabulary to Berwick, Roxburgh and Selkirk Constabulary
  • Bute County Constabulary to Renfrew and Bute Constabulary
  • Clackmannanshire Constabulary 1949 to Strling and Clackmannan Constabulary
  • Dumfriesshire County Police 16 February 1948 to Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary
  • Dunfermline City Police 16 May 1949 to Fife Constabulary
  • East Lothian Constabulary to Lothians and Peeblesshire Constabulary
  • Fife County Constabulary 16 May 1949 to Fife Constabulary
  • Kincardineshire Constabulary 16 May 1949 to Scottish North Eastern Counties Constabulary
  • Kirkcaldy Burgh Police 16 May 1949 to Fife Constabulary
  • Midlothian Constabulary to Lothians and Peeblesshire Constabulary
  • Moray and Nairn Constabulary 16 May 1949 to Scottish North Eastern Counties Constabulary
  • Peeblesshire Constabulary to Lothians and Peeblesshire Constabulary
  • Renfrewshire Constabulary to Renfrew and Bute Constabulary
  • Roxburghshire Constabulary to Berwick, Roxburgh and Selkirk Constabulary
  • Selkirkshire constabulary to Berwick, Roxburgh and Selkirk Constabulary
  • Stewartry of Kirkcudbright Police 16 February 1948 to Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary
  • Stirlingshire Constabulary 1949 to Stirling and Clackmannan Constabulary
  • West Lothian Constabulary to Lothians and Peeblesshire Constabulary
  • Wigtownshire County Police 16 February 1948 to Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary
;Abolished 1950s
;Abolished 1960s
;Abolished 1975
The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 created new police forces based on the new regions and island areas from 16 May 1975.
;Abolished 2013
An Act of the Scottish Parliament, the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012, created a single Police Service of Scotland – better known as Police Scotland – and a single Scottish Fire and Rescue Service with effect from 1 April 2013..

Railway police forces

From the archives of the British Transport Police:

Docks and port police forces

Canal/river police forces

  • Aberdare Canal Police
  • Aire and Calder Navigation Police
  • Birmingham Canal Navigation Police
  • Bristol River Police
  • Gloucester Dock Police
  • Grand Junction Canal Police
  • Grand Surrey Canal Police
  • Grand Surrey Docks & Canal Police
  • Grand Union Canal Company Police
  • Lee Conservancy Police
  • Leeds and Liverpool Canal Police
  • Manchester Ship Canal Police
  • Regents Canal and Dock Police
  • River Clyde Police
  • River Tyne Police
  • Sharpness Dock Police
  • Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation Police

Airport police forces

Other police forces

Churches

Departmental constabularies

Merged to form the Admiralty Constabulary in 1949.
Merged to form the Ministry of Defence Police in 1974.

Markets

Miscellaneous

National

Parks

London

Non-London

Non-police law enforcement agencies