Sittingbourne: Historical Artefacts Seized

Police have seized historical artefacts from a house in Sittingbourne as part of an investigation into illegal metal detecting.

Medieval coins dating back to the 13th century were among the items found at the property in Chalkwell Road earlier this week.

It is the first time a search warrant has been issued in Kent under Operation Chronos - a national campaign in conjunction with Historic England to tackle the practice of 'nighthawking'.

Inspector Dave Smith of Kent Police’s Rural Task Force said: "Nighthawking is where people go onto farmland, archaeological sites and other areas of interest to find and steal coins and other treasure for their historical and financial value.

"This practice permanently deprives the country of our heritage and is one we are keen to tackle shoulder-to-shoulder with Historic England, whose policing and crime advisor Mark Harrison we have close ties with."