PAS’s mandate extends only to England and Wales yet it now cheerleading for the British system to be adopted elsewhere. For example: 1.) A film praising the PAS by Irish detectorists campaigning to legalise detecting in Ireland was narrated by someone sounding remarkably like PAS’s Dan Pett. [Mr Pett has now told us: “that video is nothing to do with me. I left PAS in May 2015“. We apologise to him.]  2.) PAS’s Dr Michael Lewis spoke at the inaugural meeting of the European Council for Metal Detecting (an organisation devoted to exporting the British system throughout Europe), where his contribution was hailed as “outstanding”. 3.) And now, (see The Searcher Magazine) we have PAS attending a public debate aimed at persuading Ireland to change its laws ….

pas-in-ireland

Why? Why is PAS promoting the British system abroad, despite having no mandate or funding or visible incentive to do so?  Why are the French, Germans, Dutch, Spanish, Poles, Italians, Swedish and Irish being lobbied by a small British quango with an entirely parochial vested interest in praising artefact hunting at home? Why is it commending to others a system which is supported by detectorists in Britain only 30% of the time at best? Why on earth has PAS become part of a campaign run by detectorists to persuade two dozen sovereign European countries to rip up their laws on metal detecting?

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More Heritage Journal views on artefact collecting
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