This section applies where—
a child is placed for adoption by a local authority under section 19,
the authority have applied for a placement order and the application has been refused, and
any parent or guardian of the child informs the authority that he wishes the child to be returned to him.
The prospective adopters must return the child to the authority on a date determined by the court.
A prospective adopter who fails to comply with subsection (2) is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or both.
As soon as a child is returned to the authority, they must return the child to the parent or guardian in question.