Metal detecting on council land

We do not permit metal detecting on publicly owned land except where a metal detecting survey is part of an approved archaeological investigation. This approach has been adopted to provide consistent management of council assets. Damaging council land is classed as vandalism, it is an offence enforceable by the Police under the Criminal Damages Act 1971.

Please report any unauthorised metal detecting by calling the Police on 101 or email our neighbourhood team and they can assess the situation and forward on to our partners if necessary.

Why metal detecting can be a problem

A number of problems can result from metal detecting, including:

• Damage to tree roots, plants and wildlife
• Creating trip hazards where land is disturbed and not correctly reinstated
• Removal of artefacts from their original location with serious loss of information
• Damage to related archaeological deposits
• Unreported discoveries leading to an accumulated loss of knowledge.