Whilst out caching at the weekend I was asked by a 'birder' what I was looking for in a hedgerow. He spotted me some way off as he was in a hide. Didn't spot the muggle else I'd have walked on.

The hedgerow in question was along a defined bridleway. When I explained about geocaching he advised me that looking, poking around in hedgerows is an illegal activity and is liable to a fine of a minium £1000. What is more I was disturbing nesting birds and should stop my activity and clear orf. He had called the police.

It's not as if we were pulling the hedge apart. As it was autumn you could see in the hedge and we certainly weren't pulling it or destroying it to find the cache.

Once I softened his agressive approach and talked to him he was a sort of pleasant gentleman. I believe as the cache was only posted in June it was a case of NIMBY'ism. The cache had been muggled.

I'm not sure under what law I would be prosecuted does anyone know? Crimnal damage? I guess that knocks on the head years of picking fuirt from hedgerows. Or would that be theft.

Police never turned up all bluff and bluster. We went on our way to the next cache after saying goodbye and on good terms.