UK Rally Organiser: "Fanks fer th' Munny, Here's the FLO's Contact Details if You Want" [Updated]

Heritage Action provide 'Instant confirmation that “licensing” of metal detecting rallies would be a damaging farce' (Heritage Journal 06/12/2020)

The proof is in this message from the organiser of yesterday’s rally (and today’s and Wednesday’s and next Saturday’s):

“Great 1st day back today, Hope you all enjoyed yourselves, Well done to the finders . The Flo link for this event is Wiltshire Team Wil Partridge Finds Liaison Officer for Wiltshire Telephone: 01[0000] Email: ***************” .

And that’s it, all he or anyone can do to influence behaviour! So even if he was put under the strictest licensing conditions known to man, the ONLY means he has to get his attendees to report their finds is to tell them how to contact the FLO. As PAS knows very well that has little positive effect in the case of thousands of commercial rally attendees. Pockets, see, they’re beyond outside control.

So the recent “licensing” talk is an ineffectual red herring. It would not reduce the harm one iota but would actually increase it by lending such events faux respectability. Someone should explain that to DCMS before it’s too late. PAS?

PAS? [Hollow laugh] The idea of “licensing rallies” mooted by Mike Heyworth and Mike Lewis (et al.?) is a no-go, what would be the legal basis under the UK’s current legislation? None at all. And what would it achieve if people like Mr Howard had a piece of paper licensing him to hold the rally, and what would (realistically) happen if he could not show one?

The UK needs to sort out the problem of collection-driven exploitation of the archaeological record as a matter of urgency, and yet is faffing around chasing substitutes for action.

Update 7th Dec 2020

It is of course the merest fluke of a lucky coincidence that a day after I posted that LDG has today posted the full official Code, verbatim on the FID website ("Very useful information for all detectorists especially beginners or anyone not familiar with metal detecting codes of practice").

Trouble is, next item down, there's a FID article showing the full NCMD one.

You couldn't make this stuff up.