Saturday 13 October 2012

Focus on UK Metal Detecting: "Reserve is Damaged in Hunt for Artefacts"

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News from Essex:
illegal metal detecting is causing damage to a Billericay nature reserve. Park rangers are urging people to be on the look out for any signs of nighthawking in parks across the borough after holes were discovered at Mill Meadows Nature Reserve, Billericay. ​[...] Chair of the Mill Meadows Society, Neil Sumner, said: "[...] They are certainly not doing it under the auspices of the council or society, they are doing it for their own benefit," [...] Councillor Kevin Blake, cabinet member for leisure and arts at Basildon Council, which owns Mill Meadows, said: "It is one of the finest examples of an ancient meadow in the region and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to the diverse range of wildlife it supports, including rare species. "Clearly it's not an area which is suitable for metal detecting and it is very disappointing that some people are taking part in an activity which is harming the site [...]" 
The various metal detectorists' codes of ethics, rather than reducing the damaging effects on the historical record, tend to concentrate more on the "Countryside Code" aspects of the interaction wbetween the activity and the environment, so it is disappointing to see even these aspects ignored here. The article also goes on to say "The Gazette is also aware of reports of nighthawking on the new housing site, off Noak Hill Road, close to Mill Meadows". It is good to see even the UK local press taking an interest in the effects of irresponsible artefact huunting on the environment and raising awareness. 

Anon, 'Reserve is damaged in hunt for artefacts', Billericay Gazette October 04, 2012.

There is however another side to this story, reported on a metal detecting forum near you.  Detectorist "Bridex" witnessed the "attack" and went and had a word with the people concerned. If these two reports indeed refer to the same incident it seems we have a case of ignorant people unconcerned about where they can take digging tools to earth and where they cannot. But did "Bridex" get on the phone to the polioce when he saw metal detecting going on where it should not?

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