Illegal treasure hunters are increasingly raiding ancient sites in England and authorities have petitioned for the public’s help in stopping these deplorable “nighthawkers robbing the past.”
Conservation charity English Heritage have announced that incidents of illegal “nighthawking” doubled in 2019 compared to 2017 numbers, and furthermore, last December was the worst month for reported incidents in more than four years; with criminals targeting some of Britain's most historic sites including medieval castles, Roman forts, battlefields, and abbeys.
Spirited Away and Lost Forever
These increasing crime numbers are being caused by a surge in the number of ‘nighthawkers’ or ‘nighthawks’- people who illegally, stealthily metal detect under the cover of darkness. English Heritage has now called for public support. According to a report in the Daily Mail , English Heritage Chief executive Kate Mavor urges anyone who witnesses any kind of suspicious activity to call the police in an effort to catch the criminals “robbing us of our past.”
