(Source: Independent.co.uk)
The Met Police today said that Nigel Wilson, of Nottingham, is accused of flying the drones over Buckingham Palace and a number of Premier League football grounds.
In all, police said that Wilson is alleged to have flown surveillance drones over Liverpool’s Anfield, the Nottingham Forest Stadium, Leicester’s King Power Stadium, Derby Stadium, Arsenal’s Emirates, Stoke’s Britannia Stadium and Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium. Police also say that drones were flown over Westminster and the Queen Victoria Memorial at Buckingham Palace, as well as along the North Bank of the River Thames.
Pilots of drones can be charged under the Air Navigation Order 2009. Flying drones through congested areas without permission from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) contravenes that order.
Wilson appears to have experience working in sports broadcast roles, including coverage of the World Cup, according to his Linkedin.
The CAA has been working to educate the public about the rules on drones, as the quadcopters have surged in popularity. As the number of drones in the sky soar, politicians and aviation groups are worried that the small flying machines could endanger people on the ground as well as real flights.
A spokesperson for the CAA said: “We can confirm that we have assisted the police in preparing this prosecution. There are clear rules and regulations in place regarding the flying of drones in the UK and it is the responsibility of users to spend time fully understanding what those rules are.”
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Alan is serial entrepreneur, active angel investor, and a drone enthusiast. He co-founded DRONELIFE.com to address the emerging commercial market for drones and drone technology. Prior to DRONELIFE.com, Alan co-founded Where.com, ThinkingScreen Media, and Nurse.com. Recently, Alan has co-founded Crowditz.com, a leader in Equity Crowdfunding Data, Analytics, and Insights. Alan can be reached at alan(at)dronelife.com