Thames Valley Police Rural Taskforce arrest suspected nighthawker in East Garston

Police arrested a suspected nighthawker in East Garston on Thursday night as part of an ongoing operation into tackling rural crime.

Members of Thames Valley Police’s Rural Crime Taskforce worked alongside the Hungerford and Downlands Neighbourhood Policing Team (NHPT) into the early hours in their pursuit of potential criminal behaviour.

The suspect was arrested for a vehicle and cannabis offence and a vehicle and metal detecting equipment were seized.

Nighthawking refers to the theft of archaeological artefacts from private land while under the cover of darkness, usually with the aid of a commercial metal detector.