Devon & Cornwall Police Contribute to New Guidance Protecting Shipwrecks

Hidden Shipwrecks at Risk? New Guidance Aims to Stop Underwater Crime

Devon & Cornwall Police has helped shape new national guidance designed to help law enforcement agencies protect historic shipwrecks around England’s coastline.

The new Common Enforcement Manual for Heritage Crime at Sea has been launched by Historic England in partnership with the University of Plymouth’s School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences. The guidance aims to make it easier for authorities to detect and respond to heritage crime at sea.

Rural Affairs Sergeant Julian Fry from Devon & Cornwall Police played a key role in developing the manual and contributed expertise to the policing section of the document.

📷Site Security Champion briefing Devon & Cornwall police marine unit while they patrol in the vicinity of the Salcombe Protected Wreck Site. © MSDS Marine

Protecting Historic Wrecks Around Cornwall

There are 57 nationally important protected shipwrecks around the coast of England. Of those, 21 lie off the coasts of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Monitoring wrecks on the seabed presents clear challenges for those responsible for protecting them. If suspicious activity is detected on a protected wreck site, maritime enforcement teams must be able to act quickly.

While most divers follow the law, authorities say an “unscrupulous minority” have removed items or failed to follow legal requirements. This has led to irreparable damage at several historic wreck sites.

📷Diver recording cannon on a historic shipwreck © Wessex Archaeology

New Manual to Guide Enforcement at Sea

The guidance provides detailed legal advice and protocols for observing, investigating and intercepting vessels suspected of criminal activity around protected wrecks. It also sets out communication procedures between organisations involved in maritime enforcement.

Sergeant Julian Fry is the Heritage Crime Tactical Lead for Devon & Cornwall Police and the National Police Tactical Lead for Operation Birdie, which targets the illegal salvage or disturbance of protected wrecks.

Julian attended the official launch of the manual at Historic England’s head office in London on 19th February.

He said:

“The new Common Enforcement Manual will be a game-changer. It provides clear and easy-to-use guidance that will help to ensure our maritime heritage sites are properly protected.

“Last year, the HMS Coronation, which went down off Rame Head, Cornwall in 1691 and was added to the Protection of Wrecks Act in 1978 was subject to potential damage after a series of lobster pots were found on the wreck in Cornwall.

“Preservation of nationally important heritage sites is essential and this pioneering manual which brings together into one place the knowledge, skills and experience of those involved with enforcement in the maritime heritage crime sector will help us to extend the protection for underwater heritage sites for years to come.

“The guide will be shared with Police, Coastguard, Border Force, Ministry of Defence and other key partners outlining powers available to them to safeguard maritime heritage, as well as steps they can take to enforce protection laws.”

📷Sgt Jules Fry with key partners involved in producing the CEM

Coordinated Approach to Heritage Crime

Historic England hopes the new manual will act as a single resource for authorities responding to suspected maritime heritage crime.

Mark Harrison, Historic England’s Head of Heritage Crime, said:

“Responding to heritage crime at sea requires swift action, clear procedures and the secure preservation of evidence.

“By strengthening awareness and coordination among the law enforcement agencies patrolling England’s waters, we are enhancing our collective ability to identify offenders, secure crime scenes, and protect historic wreck sites. This sends a clear message that criminal activity will not be tolerated.”

The manual was developed by Associate Professor of Law Jason Lowther and Visiting Professor Mike Williams from Plymouth University’s School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences, together with Beccy Austin, a senior consultant working for MSDS Marine.

They said:

“The Common Enforcement Manual is an unprecedented piece of joined-up action. It has active support from key agencies including the police, government and fisheries bodies and marks a major milestone in the protection of our rich underwater cultural heritage.”

How Protected Wrecks Are Recorded

All protected wreck sites are mapped and highlighted on navigational charts. They are also listed on the National Heritage List for England.

More information about heritage and rural crime can be found on the Devon & Cornwall Police website.

Anyone who witnesses suspicious activity or believes something is not right is asked to report it to police through the online reporting service.

📷: Diver holding an underwater sign indicating that a site has been forensically marked. This means visiting divers can look but not touch. © MSDS Marine