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A traveller who destroyed a 1,200-year-old listed monument will not be prosecuted because he ‘didn’t know it was an important ancient site’.

A section of the world famous Offa’s Dyke, which marks the boundary between England and Wales was completely bulldozed by a traveller known as Danny.

The ancient listed earthwork on the Welsh border is a World Heritage site which sits alongside the Pyramids and the Taj Mahal in terms of importance.

Bulldozed: The section of Offa’s Dyke path, the ancient boundary of Wales and England which has been dug away near Llangollen, north Wales

Eighth century: Offa’s Dyke near Knighton in Wales. The dyke was created by Offa the King of Mercia from 757 to 796 AD and roughly formed the boundary between England and Wales

But police admitted they had insufficient evidence to prove it was deliberately damaged by the traveller landowner who had lived in the area all his life and didn’t know it existed.

Horrified
experts said the bulldozing of a 50-yard preserved section of the dyke
to build a stables was ‘like driving a road through Stonehenge’.

Jim Saunders of the Offa’s Dyke Association said, ‘An example needs to be made. If other landowners see someone getting away with it then they will be encouraged to do the same.

Top spot: Offa’s Dyke Path is a favoured walking spot for hikers. Pictured, the Panorama Walk naer Llangollen in Wales

A walkers’ paradise: Offa’s Dyke Path  is signposted in various spots along the way, left. Right, a section of the path which winds through the woods (not the same area that was bulldozed)

‘This is the worst damage I have seen done for 25 years. A 50 yard section has been cut away and completely destroyed.

‘It can never be put back as it was. Even if you were to rebuild it you couldn’t say it was Offa’s Dyke.

WHAT ANCIENT MONUMENT?

The Dyke is 7.5 miles longer than Hadrian’s Wall, covering 82 miles along the border between England and Wales.

According to folklore it was customary for the English to cut off the ears of every Welshman found to the east ofthe dyke, and for the Welsh to hang every Englishmand found to the west of it.

King Offa expected all men from the border country along the English side to contribute to the erection of the dyke by sending food or building a 4foot stretch

Lonely Planet describes Offa’s Dyke Path as one of the world’s best wall walks alongside the Great Wall of China and Berlin Wall

The 8th century monument consists of a wide ditch and rampart which runs for 82 miles along the border between England and Wales.

It is believed King Offa of Mercia built large sections of it between 757 and 796 to mark the division between his kingdom and Wales to protect his land from invasion.

It is a criminal offence to disrupt or damage the dyke, which is designated a ‘scheduled ancient monument’ because of its historical significance.

Anyone caught doing so can be punished with six months in jail or a £5,000 fine.

The dyke attracts up to 15,000 visitors a week during the summer, with walkers coming from all over Europe.

But at the time of the damage last August, the landowner said he had ‘no idea’ the area was of national historic importance.

The man, who gave his name only as Danny, claimed: ‘I’ve lived here all my life and I’ve never heard of Offa’s Dyke.

‘We bought this from a bloke next door and want to put stables on it. Nobody said anything to us about a historic monument, it wasn’t mentioned.’ 

The well-preserved section of the dyke was on privately owned land between Chirk and Llangollen in North Wales.

But after a nine-month inquiry, police today admitted no further action would be taken.

North Wales Police spokesman Kevin Evans said: ‘In August 2013 North Wales Police received a complaint that a section of the Offa’s Dyke earthworks in Chirk near Wrexham had been deliberately damaged.

‘An investigation by Wrexham CID commenced resulting in a local man being interviewed under caution in connection with the matter.

‘As a result of the investigation there was insufficient evidence to prove any criminal offence and the matter is no longer being investigated by North Wales Police.’

He added, ‘You have to prove not just the act but whether there was criminal intent and knowledge that it would be a criminal act.’

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