LITHGOW Council has reiterated that digging for metal objects in any council parks, with or without metal detectors, is strictly forbidden and can potentially lead to prosecution.
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General manager Roger Bailey said there was no truth to claims by a couple last week that their operation in Queen Elizabeth Park was approved.
In the Lithgow Mercury last week it was reported that local residents had challenged a couple using a metal detector and digging in the park the previous Sunday.
The previously unidentified couple subsequently contacted the Mercury objecting to being referred to as vandals and claimed council parks staff had never objected to their operations and in fact gave friendly gestures.
They also claimed they were doing the community a favor by removing metal objects.
The further claimed they made similar searches in the grounds of Cooerwull School with permission and in parks in the Blue Mountains.
The couple subsequently went to a social media site providing a very coloured version of events.
Council general manager Roger Bailey said yesterday that Council staff have never condoned digging for objects in its parks or playing fields.
He said that council does not object to the use of metal detectors but any digging, no matter how slight, is strictly prohibited.