Arrest after drone stops match
A friendly football match between Liverpool and Huddersfield Town was stopped briefly whilst the police found and arrested the RPA operator.
A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: “The referee took the decision to briefly stop the match on grounds of safety after the drone was seen approximately an hour into the game.
“Police officers were quickly deployed to the immediate area. The pilot was identified and the drone recovered.
“A 38-year-old man from Huddersfield was arrested on suspicion of flying a small unmanned aircraft with a mass of over 7kg at a height of more than 400ft.
“This a breach of civil aviation regulations. He has been bailed pending further enquiries.”
Not the first time that Liverpool have had a drone overhead one of their matches.
In September 2015, Nigel Wilson was fined £1,800 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
Wilson, 42, was accused by Scotland Yard of flying an aircraft unmanned and “failing to maintain direct visual contact”.
The charges he admitted included flying the drone on:
- September 16 – Liverpool v Ludogorets FC at Anfield
- September 23 – Derby County v Reading at iPro Stadium, Derby
- September 27 – Palace of Westminster, London
- September 27 – Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium, London
- October 9 – Queen Victoria Memorial outside Buckingham Palace and north bank of the River Thames in London
- October 18 – Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur at Etihad Stadium, Manchester
After the successful prosecution of Wilson, this new contender ought to have know better. The CAA will be better prepared for this prosecution.
Video clips doing the rounds of the web point to the platform being a black Inspire, but we shall see.
