Heritage Crime

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Committee

Chair

Paul Jeffery

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Vice-chair

Aisling Nash

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Committee member

Alison James

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Committee member

Jenny Kent

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Committee member

Jon Berry

Committee member

Jonathan Gladwin

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Committee member

Peter Reavill

Committee member

Kirsty Squires

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Committee member

Roger Bryan Smith

Specialist competence matrix

No competence matrix available.

Three year plan

Heritage Crime 3 year plan -2026-29 (PDF | 268.35 KB)

Heritage Crime Group Annual General Meeting and talk

Join us for our AGM on Wednesday 25 November from 13:00 - 15:00 - a chance for the committee to share with you some of the work we have been involved with over the last year, and discuss our plans for the next 12 months, including ways in which you can get involved.

We will also feature a presentation - Policing the Past with speaker PC Jono Lightfoot, Heritage Crime Officer, Cheshire Constabulary & National Policing Lead for Operation Lithic (theft of heritage stone).

This event is free for all CIfA members to attend; this includes CIfA Finds Group supporters. There is a fee of £5 for all non-members of CIfA.

Book here!

The Heritage Crime Group welcomes members from across the Historic Environment and Law Enforcement sectors who have an interest in the protection of our shared Heritage through Prevention, Investigation & Enforcement. The Groups interests cover all aspects of heritage and cultural property crime - terrestrial and maritime. Heritage Crime is defined as: ‘Any offence involving damage or loss to the historic environment, including all offences involving cultural property.’ Cultural property in this instance includes artefacts associated with any aspect of the historic environment.

With new sentencing guidelines for England & Wales and a decade of Heritage crime being studied and challenged, archaeologists are increasingly being called upon as police volunteers and Heritage Crime Advisers to provide a range of investigative and prosecution support including the writing of Impact Statements to support sentencing uplifts. While heritage organisations and law enforcement agencies are working together to better understand the impact of heritage crime, prosecute offenders and help prevent future crimes, This SIG is a hub for both sectors to promote awareness, training and continuing partnership working.

The aims of the Heritage Crime SIG are:

To raise awareness of the impact of heritage and cultural property crime.
To help prevent heritage and cultural property crime through signposting of resources including training and guidance.
To bring together interested parties to identify partnerships and opportunities across heritage and law enforcement.
To explore with the CIfA Board of Directors the establishment of a register and panel of experts in heritage and cultural property crime.

An introduction to Heritage Crime with Cheshire Police's Rural Crime Team

This series of videos has been developed by Cheshire Constabulary and discusses the different aspects of heritage crime which they come across.

All videos are presented by PC Jono Lightfoot, a Heritage Crime Officer based on their Rural Crime Team.

All videos shared with permission and thanks to Cheshire Police and The Rural Crime Team.

Group recordings and resources

The Marine Archaeology and Heritage Crime Special Interest Groups hosted a lunchtime talk presented by Henry Clack and Tom Walters of HFW on Tuesday 12 May 2026.

The talk discussed the cargo of silver bars carried on board the S.S. “TILAWA” at the time of its sinking by a Japanese submarine during the Second World War, and the subsequent salvage claim that was brought before the English courts. Ultimately, the U.K. Supreme Court held that the silver, which was owned by the Government of the Republic of South Africa, was subject to state immunity under the State Immunity Act 1978 and the International Salvage Convention 1989.

S.S. Tilawa – Salvaged silver and state immunity recording

Free webinar from June 2025 on Heritage Crime and Maritime Heritage, hosted by National Historic Ships UK with support from the Maritime Heritage Trust. Delivered by Paul Jeffery, Heritage Crime SIG Chair; and Mark Harrison, FSA, Head of Heritage Crime Strategy at Historic England.

Webinar - Heritage Crime and Maritime Heritage

During our Group Annual General Meeting in 2024, we were joined by Superintendent Tom Holmes of Devon and Cornwall Police who shared an update on recent Heritage Crime Initiatives on the South West Peninsula.

Heritage Crime Group AGM 2024 - Heritage Crime Initiatives on the South West Peninsula

The 'Heritage Crime: prevention, investigation and enforcement developments & opportunities' session at CIfA2024 conference brought together archaeologists from a range of backgrounds, police and other enforcement professionals, and businesses with case studies and experience of partnership working from across the UK. Illegal metal detecting, theft of lead and artefacts from churches, damage to historic wrecks, along with anti-social behaviour and criminal damage were all explored. Each session concluded with a Q&A discussion. View the session recordings below.

The development of Heritage Crime Practice in the UK - Mark Harrison

Heritage Protection developments in Wales - Jonathon Berry

Working with the Police; volunteering opportunities and challenges - Jenny Kent

Tackling Heritage Crime in partnership - Andy Bliss

Heritage Crime Training and Skills - where do we go from here? - Aisling Nash

Countering Heritage crime in the marine zone - Hefin Meara

Heritage Crime Panel Discussion - Chair: Paul Jeffery

Group publications and newsletters

The Archaeologist HCSIG Takeover

The Summer 2024 issue of The Archaeologist was guest edited by the Heritage Crime Special Interest Group. It includes updates from around the UK and articles on some exciting developments in technology and partnership practice. Grab a cuppa and have a read today.

The Archaeologist - Issue 122 (PDF | 5.88 MB)

CIfA Heritage Crime Group - Newsletter - February 2024 (PDF | 444.55 KB)

CIfA Heritage Crime Group leaflet (PDF | 443.81 KB)

Group meeting minutes and documents