Mark,
Thank you for your post. You are 100% correct and your points bear out my argument that licencing and control is needed. I'm afraid that metal detecting is seen as an alternative occupation, (as opposed to real work) and unfortunately attracts a type of person that the fellow with the grenades could be a poster boy for.
There was an incident a few years ago when two nuggets were detecting and digging into the side of a Barrow, (earth burial mound). As this was a scheduled ancient monument this was illegal but not a care to these geniuses. However the fact that someone else dug here in the 1940's the Home Guard was important and when they put a shovel through a SIP Grenade, (No 76 Gren) it definitely got their attention. Minor injuries only and a nice day out for the team with something fun to deal with, however you can only hope that some kind of lesson was learned. I attended a meeting of the National Council for Metal Detecting to speak and after their complete refusal to believe that any occurrences had happened I related this one to a stunned and silent audience. When told them that I had at least half a dozen other examples they acknowledged the problem existed but refused to change their attitudes. However they did say that it would be included in their guidelines and I wrote an instruction for their inclusion however I note that after 15 years in their guidelines under Bombs, Bones and Burials the advice is "Coming Soon", so 15+ years and they still have not bothered!
As I said before Magnet Fishing is the latest incarnation and unfortunately it will take someone to be seriously hurt or die before anything is done.
Several people have tried to say that the branding of these people as 'of a certain type' is wrong but continually they seem to be trying to prove the point that you can!
I'd like to say rant over but I'm afraid it's not. Not until this is stopped or modified to a point of being safe which I cannot see!
R
Illigitimus Nil Carborundum Est
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