No NCMD Members Ever been Caught Nighthawking

Fergus Collins, 'Nighthawks' stealing our history' BBC Countryfile, Thursday 2nd October 2014

The National Council of Metal Detectors (NCMD) works closely with Mark Harrison and the police and none of its members have ever been implicated in a crime. “These aren’t hobbyists,” stresses the NCMD’s Steve Critchley, “they are criminals who use metal detectors as their tool of choice.” [...] The nighthawkers bring “bad publicity and embarrassment” to his hobby. “In places where our members are regular visitors, you seldom see criminal activity,” Critchley adds. “It’s the places where metal detecting is banned that are most vulnerable to nighthawkers. The presence of legitimate metal detectors acts as extra eyes on the land to prevent unwarranted access.”

“places where metal detecting is banned" like scheduled sites he means. Open them up to detectorists eyes on the land, boots on the ground, spades in the archaeology and the nighthawking will stop he seems to be saying. see also N. Thornee, 'Should metal detectors be banned to stop thieves robbing ancient sites?Tuesday 7th June 2011.