Great job, Police and English Heritage, catching a nighthawk . The first time there’s been had been such a co-ordinated team approach. So long live ARCH – The Alliance to reduce crime against heritage!
What a crying shame this was said though: “Behaviour such as his removes part of our heritage and will not be tolerated.”
Please, Police, English Heritage et al, in future if you’re going to highlight the “heritage loss” aspect of nighthawking rather than the theft aspect can you not give the public the least reason to believe that illegal metal detecting is the main cause of heritage loss through metal detecting. It isn’t. Legal detecting by those who don’t report their finds is far more widespread and the cause of vastly more heritage loss than nighthawking. And IS tolerated.
The public has a right to understand that. Thanks.
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More Heritage Action views on metal detecting and artefact collecting
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The Heritage Journal 
8 comments
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31/08/2012 at 11:16
vulcan800Geoff Bourne
I do not condone nighthawking in any way, but your comments are to be taken with a pinch of salt. Legal detecting, (as you quote), is legal, full stop. If it was not for detectorists the “heritage ” would not be found or tangible anyway.
31/08/2012 at 11:42
heritageaction
Why is “Legal detecting by those who don’t report their finds is far more widespread and the cause of vastly more heritage loss than nighthawking” to be taken with a pinch of salt?!
And how, precisely, is it untrue, unfair or anti-metal detecting?
31/08/2012 at 12:07
vulcan800Geoff Bourne
Because you are assuming that detectorists do not report their finds. Where is your evidence to make that presumption. Do all student archeologists, when on “digs” report their finds ????
31/08/2012 at 12:13
heritageaction
http://www.heritageaction.org.uk/erosioncounter/
Please read!
31/08/2012 at 12:24
vulcan800Geoff Bourne
Those figures displayed are totally unfounded. (Total fiction).
I also, still await your reply regarding student archeologists reporting all their finds.
31/08/2012 at 13:11
heritageaction
“Those figures displayed are totally unfounded”.
Ah, so you havent read it then, else you would have seen the support for the figures provided by surveys by EH, CBA, an archaeologist and detectorists.
You are welcome to provide a considered, detailed explanation of why the figures are “totally unfounded” but not to waste everyone’s time by simply denying massive numbers of finds go unrecorded. In case you dont take up the offer (like every detectorist before you) goodbye.
31/08/2012 at 13:34
vulcan800Geoff Bourne
The figures are rubbish & you know it.
From your attitude I can see that you are very anti detectorist but I wish you luck in finding many more interesting “Post Holes”.
I would also like to add that although to some people archaeology is most interesting, it is not really that important. If it were banned today, it would not make a scrap of difference to mankind. I may even suggest to Mr Cameron that he should make drastic cuts in archaeological funding to save the taxpayer money. Afterall, its detectorists who have been finding the main important finds and not archaeologists. (Detectorists do not cost the taxpayer any money so I consider this to be a great idea).
31/08/2012 at 13:49
heritageaction
“The figures are rubbish & you know it.”
QED
“I may even suggest to Mr Cameron that he should make drastic cuts in archaeological funding to save the taxpayer money.”
Great idea. Bet he cant wait!
‘Bye!