Man arrested for offences carried out at Stonehenge including recklessly damaging a protected monument

At the request of Wiltshire Police, a 30-year old man has been arrested in Bradford by West Yorkshire Police for offences carried out in the Stonehenge World Heritage Site between August and September this year.

The man was arrested for Intentionally or Recklessly Damaging a Protected Monument, Use a Metal Detector in a protected place without the written consent of the Secretary of State, removing an archaeological or historical interest which is discovered by the use of a metal detector in a protected place without the written consent and possession of Explosives without a Valid Permit.

West Yorkshire Police have brought a caution for possession of Class B Drugs that were found at the suspects home during his arrest. He has since been released under investigation.

PC Emily Thomas Heritage Crime officer in the Wiltshire Rural Crime Team said, “We are fortunate to live in a beautiful county with many heritage sites. Unfortunately, these sites occasionally attract the wrong sorts of visitors who are intent on personal gain and disregard the law.

“Our heritage assets are protected by specific criminal offences to prevent the damage caused by unlicensed alteration and thereby diminish the enjoyment of heritage sites for others. On this occasion, the suspect was identified when posting his finds and the location on social media“.