It's a hard life... |
My question to them about the documentation of cases like this still stands - though unanswered by these public "servants".
UPDATE 8th June 2016
The question remains, the police seize a load of artefacts from a metal detectorist's home in a raid. But so-called nighthawking is not about mere possession of artefacts, but where they come from. So obviously the raid has to include documentation of that - but then, my question is when there is a raid like that reported in Sittingbourne, what kind of documentation can be seized and how can it prove the an offence has been committed if the only form of evidence that is going to exist is negative evidence (lack of a search and take permit from a specific piece of land - but then how do you prove that a collector's unlabelled objects are from that specific piece of property?) Basically I think you cannot. So the only way to 'nab' somebody is to find unreported Treasure in their collection - but then can you always prove that the items concerned were found in the UK? I think the whole problem is a whole lot more complex than just knocking on a random door and taking away their artefact collection - and that is the fault of the way British law is written.
Update 31st October 2016
Scam report, the guy was not charged with 'nighthawking' at all, but failing to report a find of Treasure made on a rally: 'Swale metal detectorist pays for heritage crime' Kent police
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