Unfortunately, heritage crime is harming historic sites across the National Park. You can help protect our historic landscapes by reporting issues to Dyfed-Powys Police.
About Heritage Watch
Working with Dyfed-Powys Police, Cadw, Dyfed Archaeological Trust, Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust and Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority set up Heritage Watch to:
- Raise public awareness of sites at risk from heritage crime
- Enable the public to report heritage crime
- Provide training sessions on identifying heritage sites and recognising heritage crime
- Monitor and patrol sites at risk of heritage crime
- Carry out repairs at sites affected by heritage crime
- Attend and host meetings amongst Heritage Watch stakeholders
Newsletters
Read the 2023 Heritage Watch Newsletter
Read the 2022 Heritage Watch Newsletter
What is heritage crime?
Heritage crime is unlawful activity that harms historic buildings, monuments, military crash sites and landscapes. Scheduled monuments and listed buildings are protected in law and it is a criminal offence to destroy or damage them. Historic sites that aren’t in either of those two categories are also threatened by unlawful activity and may constitute a heritage crime.
Examples of heritage crime include:
- Illegal off-roading
- Theft
- Vandalism / graffiti
- Criminal damage
- Starting fires, including recreational fires and ritual burning
- Disturbing burial sites
- Illegal metal detecting
- Removing or rearranging archaeological material
- Destroying archaeological material
- Unauthorised works on designated historic sites
Further information on heritage crime is available from Cadw
Some recent examples of heritage crimes damaging iconic monuments in the National Park: graffiti at Pentre Ifan Neolithic burial chamber (upper left); evidence of fire at Carn Ingli Camp (upper right), coins hammered into the pilgrim’s cross at Nevern (lower right) and rearrangement of a Bronze Age burial cairn at Carn Briw Round Cairn (lower left).
How you can help
You can help by reporting suspected heritage crimes to Dyfed-Powys Police using one of the following options:
- Report via the Dyfed-Powys Police website.
- Report by dialling the police control room on 101 for non-emergencies.
- Report by dialling the police control room on 999 in an emergency situation.
When reporting a suspected heritage crime, remember to include as much of the following information:
- Name of the historic feature (if known). Useful information to help identify monuments can be found on the Cadw website for protected sites and the Archwilio website for undesignated sites.
- Details of the incident.
- Information about suspected perpetrators, including vehicle registrations (where applicable).
- Date and time of incident, including when you witnessed the issue/s.
- Location of the incident (address, post code, grid reference etc.).
- Explain that you are reporting as part of ‘Op Heritage Cymru’, the initiative to tackle heritage crime in Wales.
Operation Heritage Cymru
Heritage Watch forms part of the Op Heritage Cymru initiative to tackle Heritage and Cultural Property Crime (HCPC). The initiative has been adopted by all Welsh Police services and covers the following areas:
- Working alongside all Welsh police services to ensure consistency
- Using ‘Op Heritage Cymru’ in all crime reports associated with HCPC to enhance crime recording data quality
- Support from Cadw to deliver bilingual training packages that strengthen the police understanding of HCPC
- Enhancing public understanding of HCPC to ensure crimes are being recognised and reported
- Providing guidance for those reporting HCPC, ensuring the reporting process is easy to understand and the correct response to a heritage crime provided
- Creating a network of Heritage Watch schemes across Wales
- Always state “Op Heritage Cymru” when reporting a Heritage Crime