East Lothian police appeal after '1ft-square hole' dug out of hill

Police are appealing for information after a 1ft-square hole was dug out of ground close to the summit of an East Lothian hill and ancient monument.

Traprain Law in winter.

The incident happened on Traprain Law - listed as a monument under The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1989 - some time between midday on Monday, May 20th and noon on Tuesday the 21st.

In a statement released today, police said the hole is classed as damage to the hill, which they described as "iconic."

The statement added: "This site has legal protection under this Act and it is an offence to carry out various activities, such as digging, without specific consent.

"We are appealing to anyone who was on Traprain Law between those times, particularly if they saw anyone digging near the summit or anyone with a metal detector on or close to the area, to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident 1521 of 22nd May."

Further information and guidance surrounding ancient sites can be found here.