Prince Charles has angered treasure hunt fans over plans to charge for the use of metal detectors on his land.
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The heir to the throne’s estate – which owns over 130,000 acres of land in Cornwall – is to start charging those searching for hidden treasure an annual fee of £60 to use metal detectors in the area within the Duchy of Cornwall.
However, the plans have been slammed as unfair and unworkable, with archaeologists accusing the royal of trying to make money out of a simple hobby.
Cornish archaeologist Jonathan Clemes said:
“People could just be walking the beach and finding these things without a detector. There shouldn’t be a charge.
“You get people who go fishing on these beaches all day and you don’t charge them, and how are you going to police it?”
However, it has been claimed the fees are merely in place to cover administration costs.
A spokesperson for the Duchy said: “Any fees are to cover administrative costs. A lot of research has to be carried out.”
