For many, it's a gentle hobby 嗜好 involving fresh air, patience, and perhaps finding the odd coin left from times gone by 过去的日子.

Indeed, the report accepts the vast majority of metal detectorists 使用金属探测器的人, as they are known, are responsible and report their finds.

But there are a small minority who loot 掠夺 ancient sites and sell the proceeds to the highest bidder¹ 出价人, sometimes using violence against anyone who discovers them.

According to the experts, nighthawkers 夜鹰（这里指晚上出动用金属探测器寻宝的人） are often very organised, targeting protected sites 受保护的地带 across the country.

In one field in Suffolk, more than 200 holes were dug, destroying not only the crops 农作物，庄稼, but invaluable² archaeological evidence 考古证据 which had yet to be assessed 估值，核实 by the experts.

Responsible metal detectorists point out the authorities do not help matters by placing the location of recently reported finds on the Internet.