10th July 2005, 02:33 PM
To combat the effects of nighthawking, legislation is the way forward. I agree with Dr Wardle...the law at present is inadequate, unworkable and laughable. One thing that does occur to me, rally events where large numbers of detectorists turn up and rape sites- can usually only do this with the landowners permission. Usually, landowners and detectorists have an unwritten agreement...landowner either gets half the proceeds or has the pick of the finds that the detectorists admit to finding. How about a change in the law along the lines of Dr Wardles concept of land ownership? Rallies would stop if the landowner no longer had the right to do as they pleased with the nations heritage. Licensing has to be the way forwards, for them and us.