Nighthawking on the Staffordshire Hoard field: UPDATE

We’ve just added this update to last week’s article, “Staffordshire Joke“:

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UPDATE 14 September 2013
It is noteworthy that it isn’t just The Establishment that has maintained a profound silence about ongoing nighthawking on the Staffordshire Hoard field, it is detectorists – who have said not a single public word about it.

Until today, when this extraordinary attack on us by one “Geoman” appeared on the “UK and European Metal Detecting Forum”:
“then we have the internet Trolls trying hard to incite criminals, or potential thinking about it criminals, to hawk the Staffs hoard site. I am sure there is some criminal offence in inciting others to commit a crime so perhaps the heritage police will look into it.”

So, the position is this:

• any remaining portions of the Staffordshire Hoard are almost certainly being progressively stolen
• but The Establishment (whose function is to protect heritage) has said nothing
• and detectorists (who are “only in it for the love of history”) have also said nothing
• until today, when the only people that HAVE said anything (ourselves and Paul Barford) have been labelled as trolls who are speaking out about it in order to incite people to do it.

The whole situation is completely barmy.