Bailiffs call themselves an "officer"

Many bailiffs refer to themselves as an "officer". When executing a High Court Writ, then call themselves a "High Court Enforcement Officer" and may wear apparel emblazoned with those words. Bailiffs cannot officiate because they are enforcement AGENTS. Any person misrepresenting his authority commits an offence.

A person falsely representing himself to be authorised in an official capacity to obtain payment of a sum, commits an offence under section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006.

Bailiff enforcing High Court writs are High Court Enforcement Agents

A bailiff enforcing all other debts is called an Enforcement Agent.

The offence may be reported to the police.

The position of enforcement agent is prescribed under section 63 of the Tribunals Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 and you can search the online public register of Certificated Enforcement Agents.

High Court Enforcement officers rarely work in the field unless they hold an enforcement certificate under section 63 of the Tribunals Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, the case has a high value debt and a high probably of successful recovery. Their position is prescribed under regulation 6 of the High Court Enforcement Officers regulations 2004. You can search the directory of High Court Enforcement Officers online at their trade association website, the High Court Enforcement Officers Association Limited, but membership to the company is not compulsory.

The Law:

Section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006 states:

Fraud by false representation

(1)A person is in breach of this section if he—

(a)dishonestly makes a false representation, and

(b)intends, by making the representation—

(i)to make a gain for himself or another, or

(ii)to cause loss to another or to expose another to a risk of loss

(2)A representation is false if—

(a)it is untrue or misleading, and

(b)the person making it knows that it is, or might be, untrue or misleading.

(3)"Representation" means any representation as to fact or law, including a representation as to the state of mind of—

(a)the person making the representation, or

(b)any other person.

(4)A representation may be express or implied.

(5)For the purposes of this section a representation may be regarded as made if it (or anything implying it) is submitted in any form to any system or device designed to receive, convey or respond to communications (with or without human intervention).