Bone snatchers have taken mammoth fossils from an amateur excavation site beneath the cliffs of a seaside village under the cover of night.

Amateur palaeontologists who have been uncovering the remains of a steppe mammoth at the site at West Runton have described how a gang of fossil hunters has been coming under the cover of night to ransack the site of its remaining bones.

READ MORE: More prehistoric bones discovered at West Runton beach

Amateur paleontologists, from left, Jonathan Stewart, John Clayden, and Dan ChamberlainAmateur paleontologists, from left, Jonathan Stewart, John Clayden, and Dan Chamberlain (Image: Denise Bradley) John Clayden, one of the men who made the initial find in October, said: “They have taken them from the cliff, probably to sell them.

“They have wrecked the site.

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The now empty spot beneath the cliffThe now empty spot beneath the cliff (Image: Denise Bradley) “We now cannot piece the bones that we have back together.

“They are spoiling it for everyone.

“If they would have asked to help us with the dig we would have been over the moon, we would have even supplied the beers.

“They know what they are doing, they know it is underhanded, they know nobody will be down there late at night."

Dan Chamberlain, another member of the group, said: "There was a lot of effort put into looking like they hadn't done it and they had done a good job of trying to cover it up."

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Dan Chamberlain in the hole where the finds were taken fromDan Chamberlain in the hole where the finds were taken from (Image: Denise Bradley) The amateur palaeontologists say although what the bone snatchers have done is not illegal, there is a difference between them and the night time diggers.

They argue that you are supposed to wait until the bones are revealed by the tide and then you can recover them.

The group also restore the bones for public display and are in contact with museums about their finds.

Another group member, Jonathan Stewart, said: "The difference is that we are responsible, we are doing it for science. 

Amateur palaeontologists Jonathan Stewart, left, and Dan Chamberlain, with some of their the mammoth finds Jonathan Stewart, left, and Dan Chamberlain, with some of the mammoth finds from earlier this month (Image: Denise Bradley) "We do not know what their motives are." 

Mr Clayden added: "The locals are on the lookout.

"They have said that they are keen that finds are collected properly, it's all part of the village."

Mr Chamberlain added: "We will have to make sure we are the first on the beach day or night when the conditions are right."

John Clayden and Dan Chamberlain with one of the larger bones found todayJohn Clayden and Dan Chamberlain with one of the larger bones found in October (Image: Jack Warren, Newsquest)