A team from Oxford Archaeology has announced plans to examine the practice of 'nighthawking', or the removal of antiquities from archaeological sites illegally.

More and more illicit archaeological treasures and antiquities are being traded on websites such as online auction house eBay, causing concern among experts.

The archaeologists claim that the current monitoring of and law enforcement activity against nighthawkers is piecemeal and more resources are needed to combat the problem.

Oxford Archaeology has received funding from English Heritage, Cadw, Historic Scotland, National Museum, National Museum of Wales and Portable Antiquities Scheme for the project, which will produce targeted baseline data on the extent of damage to the archaeological heritage caused by nighthawking.

Entitled Nighthawks and Nighthawking: Damage to Archaeological Sites in the United Kingdom and Crown Dependencies caused by illegal searching and removal of antiquities, the 18-month study will cover the England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as the Isle of Man, the Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey.

Solely concerned with those who break the law, not metal detectorists who operate legally, the project will look at information relating to the damage to sites and the nation's cultural heritage caused by the unauthorised searching and removal of antiquities.