Sunday 10 August 2014

Focus on UK Metal Detecting: Mouthy Mick's Family under Threat from Tekkie Vigilante Thugs?


As was discussed earlier, vermin exterminator "Tree Rat" posted online a video of a man he caught with a metal detector and spade in one of his employer's fields, and instead of apologising and leaving the field intruder became obstreperous. The police took an interest in the incident and asked citizens to help identify the man. There was a lot of discussion on the metal detecting forums, mostly by people who did not think very deeply about what they saw and made a number of incorrect assumptions. Attempts were made (perhaps by the person depicted) to get the video removed from You Tube the day after it had been posted. When that failed, this appeared, posted by a "micky smith19 hours ago [UPDATE: this comment has now been removed, together with this account's recent activity] 
This is a message to tree rat, we have now had this video posted all over the metal detecting sites. we understand the person in the video has done wrong, and appears to intend to metal detect the land, But there are laws and proper complaint procedures you can go through. This video must be taken off straight away as peoples names are being mentioned, and this could cause vigilante action to innocent persons, as someone may decide to take matters into there (sic) own hands. this then could become a law suite onto yourself. We have contacted southwick estate, and they know nothing of this matter. I appreciate your highlighting of the matter as do many detectorists, but i strongly advise you to remove the video because of the serious nature and reactions from certain viewers. if the video is not taken down, as a member of the MD society we will have to take further actions with the authority
Which metal detecting society is implied in this by "Micky Smith"? Who is "Micky Smith" and why does he want this taken down really? Are there any other recorded cases of illegal artefact hunters in the UK being threatened with violence by PAS-parnering "responsible detectorists" anxious to preserve the good name of the hobby? Why, if they know this guy's name would they allegedly go to his home to rough him over and not simply go to the police, or inform the landowner (of Southwick estate - mentioned in the thread for the first time in this comment)? What kind of image is "Micky Smith" presenting here of "responsible detectorists"?

Mouthy Mick is not the only person who has been threatened by displeased thugwits with metal detectors.There was another case of this recently, in the same geographical area of England, too:  PACHI Sunday, 2 March 2014, 'More Detecting-Related Anti-Social Behaviour'. 

In my own experience, it is clear that in the UK, this hobby is rife with this sort of thing. Engaged in it are clearly a lot of seriously unbalanced people with a fragile hold on reality and encumbered with serious problems judging the appropriateness of certain forms of interpersonal interaction. This anyone who registers on a metal detecting forum or blog, or reads some of the stuff artefact hunters produce to 'defend' the hobby can confirm for themselves.Are these the people British archaeology is justified in trying to 'partner' so that they can record archaeological information in the field?

Vignette: The Face of Britain today?

2 comments:

P2Pinvested said...

A bit harsh Paul, the vast majority of metal detectorists are decent, everyday law abiding people. We hold down decent jobs and have families. I am not sure why you feel the need to make out that we are some kind of sub standard separate species that need locking up.

Im back blogging again now so I look forward to being at loggerheads again in the not to distant future.

Regards.

Paul Barford said...

But it's not the whiter than white ones that are the problem to be resolved is it? We have the PAS for that. We cannot ignore those who the PAS will have minimal effect on, they are the problem, for (one would have thought) the real good-guy detectorists too, and it is one of the purposes of this blog to highlight that, contrary to the rest of you (PAS included) that want to sweep this side of the issue under the carpet to pretend the entire problem has been solved.

If you were half as "responsible" as you claim to be and did not play to the Stout-Howland_Sockpuppets gallery, but tried harder to understand what the issues are instead of just dismissing anything you don't want to hear (like in your last post), we would not be at "loggerheads" as you put it.

 
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