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Good morning, We received several calls from residents about an individual flying a drone over their properties, and hovering the drone by their bedroom windows. The drone was also seen swooping over and in-between nearby traffic, causing danger and a nuisance to local drivers. The main concern of the residents was a breach of their privacy and the risk the drone was putting local people at. We attended to one of the ‘live’ calls, and the drone was there being flown over the properties and along local roads. We then had the job of tracing the person who was operating the drone. We foot patrolled the area, and after not too long we found the male operating the drone from a nearby field. He was very drunk and had an open can of beer in his other hand. It was clear that he had no idea where the drone was at the time.
When we approached the male, we started the conversation about the drone, and whether he had an operating licence. He didn’t.
We asked him to bring the drone down to us, (which took him a while) so that he could show us the drone. The drone did not in fact have a camera on it, it still however was being flown dangerously close to the roads and people’s homes and residents walking out in the community.
The drone had a label saying that it weighed over 250g, therefore confirmed that he did need a licence to use it. There was also no Operator ID displayed as required. One final thing that we saw on arrival was that the male was drinking a beer whilst operating the drone, which also went against the regulations.
The male was dealt with via an out of court disposal and to keep the drone, he was made to complete the online registration with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and get an Operator ID. The male was also made to complete a relevant online safety training course on how to use the drone safely for future use. He was also educated about drinking whilst in control of the drone, and the risk he was putting local residents and local road users at by doing this.
The male was very remorseful and it clearly hadn’t thought about the risks that it was putting others at, he simply had been flying the local drone as a new hobby.
The male was given an out of court disposal (this went on his Police record), as his records showed that he was eligible, if there was any further incidents, the drone may need to be confiscated and further action would need to be taken.
This male caused upset and danger to local residents by his careless actions. However, thankfully nobody was hurt and lessons were learnt as a result of the phone calls from local residents.
We checked in a couple of weeks after to ensure that all of the above actions had been taken, so the males drone and ownership complied with regulations. They had been, we also hadn't received any further calls.
We want our local community to feel empowered to know how to use a drone safely and legally. If the rules and education are followed, then we can work together to keep our community safe.
Here are some useful links on using a drone safely and legally –
- Drones - Drones | Cheshire Constabulary
- Our powers to do with drones are in - Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021
- Drone regulation, rules and safety guidance - Flying remotely piloted aircraft | UK Civil Aviation Authority
- If you are the operator you must register with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and get an Operator ID if the drone: weighs over 250g or has a camera that can take photos or record video - If you are the operator you must register with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and get an OperatorID if the drone: UK Civil Aviation Authority
Stay safe. PCSO Lizzie Jolley 22582
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