Police have issued a warning after a 'nighthawking' report in a country field.

Dorchester Police said they were investigating a report in the Broadmayne area.

Nighthawking is the theft and illegal search of archaeological artefacts from protected archaeological sites and areas under the cover of darkness.

Police said that holes left in the ground from nighthawking could result in horses that are in the field becoming lame.

Previous incidents of nighthawking have occurred at Dorset heritage sites such as Castle Hill in Shaftesbury, North Dorset, and Knowlton Church in East Dorset.

A spokesperson from Dorchester Police said: “Nighthawking is the illegal search for and removal of antiquities from the ground using metal detectors, without the permission of the landowners, or on prohibited land such as Scheduled Monuments.

"Nighthawking is therefore theft. Nighthawks are not to be confused with responsible metal detectorists.

“If you are metal detecting in an area, you must obtain permission from the landowner before using a metal detector. This includes land to which the public have rights of access such as beaches, footpaths, or council-owned land.”