I've totally skipped most of this topic but the plates would be classed as ACTO and therefore illegal, I believe.
The cover, however, should be fair game .
Pretty much yes - but not necessarily due to direct legislation.
EU regulations cover equipment with a ‘military purpose’ but there isn’t UK legislation. (EU regulations do carry weight in the UK depending on their status as to being adopted or endorsed etc ...... and when we complete the transition may still apply depending upon the agreement and also what elements are brought into law)
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eu-legislation-and-uk-law
If someone really wants to pursue the matter then bodyarmour is highlighted within the following, but what level of legal restrictions there are for what levels of body armour could vary based on the reading of the complete relevant sections:
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1583846978025&uri=CELEX:32009L0043#ntr3-L_2009146EN.01000101-E0003
The sale/purchase of military type equipment may be controlled but not necessarily illegal in itself.
ACTO covers ‘attractive to criminal and terrorist organisations’, this can be something that absolutely should not be available to the general public to something that is attractive to theft. Airsofters, paintballers and collectors can be innocently interested in something, but other people could be more interested for other motives.
(There are also other ‘legitimate’ uses, for example the resurgence of body armour with wider use & development of Kevlar was due to the dangers experienced by pizza delivery guys - though if I felt the need to wear body armour to deliver pizza then I would opt for not delivering the pizza)
The ‘attractiveness’ of an item in the army can also just reflect its controls to minimise theft (and create an audit trail to identify that - as has been shown many things can end up being stolen - and people can get caught)
For Osprey, the chances are that there are legitimate genuine osprey vests out and about available for sale, but that current levels of protective inserts are less likely to be legitimate. How they turned up to be available to the public would be the question.
To play airsoft though - there is a real question as to do you really need them? Why do you need Kevlar to protect yourself from a tiny plastic ball? If you want your Osprey to ‘hang’ properly then this can be done with less weight and less expense, some foam, plastic card would do the job.
..... and then take yourself to one of the fogging threads because you’re sweating with all the extra weight and layers
Where would we find the classification of ACTO, and for that matter, a definition of what it means?
Laws and offences aren't supposed to be secret.
I think not.
ACTO not being a legal / illegal list, but following the assumption that if controlled then it hasn’t followed a legal path out as opposed to a specific item being illegal.
Back to the situation of whether something is bought in the pub or publicly
(that doesn’t always mean that an item sold in the pub is illegal - it could just be cheap rubbish being pushed with a bit of ‘frisson’ ...... I remember when it was commonplace to be offered watches in motorway services ...... just cheap rubbish with a bit of patter)
