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| Gatwick drones: Sussex Police 'sorry' for arrested couple | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Sussex Police's chief constable has said he feels "really sorry" for the couple who were held for 36 hours over the Gatwick Airport drones chaos. | Sussex Police's chief constable has said he feels "really sorry" for the couple who were held for 36 hours over the Gatwick Airport drones chaos. |
| Paul Gait and Elaine Kirk, who were released without charge, said they felt "violated" after their home was searched and their identities exposed. | Paul Gait and Elaine Kirk, who were released without charge, said they felt "violated" after their home was searched and their identities exposed. |
| Giles York told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was "convinced the grounds for arrest were well-founded". | Giles York told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was "convinced the grounds for arrest were well-founded". |
| Two drones found near the airport have been ruled out of being involved. | Two drones found near the airport have been ruled out of being involved. |
| Mr York defended the decision to hold Mr Gait for an extended period, despite his employer saying he was at work during the drone flights. | Mr York defended the decision to hold Mr Gait for an extended period, despite his employer saying he was at work during the drone flights. |
| He added: "I'm really sorry for what [Mr Gait] has experienced and the feeling of violation around it. | He added: "I'm really sorry for what [Mr Gait] has experienced and the feeling of violation around it. |
| "[But] what might have been worse as an experience for him would have been to be released under investigation still. | "[But] what might have been worse as an experience for him would have been to be released under investigation still. |
| "We were able to exhaust all our lines of inquiry on that first instance and were able to release him from police custody saying he was no longer a suspect." | "We were able to exhaust all our lines of inquiry on that first instance and were able to release him from police custody saying he was no longer a suspect." |
| About 1,000 flights were affected during the chaos between 19 and 21 December when drones were seen near the runway. | |
| A suggestion by a senior Sussex police officer that there may have been no drones was later dismissed as a "miscommunication". | |
| Mr York said police received 115 reports of sightings, including 92 confirmed as coming from "credible people". | Mr York said police received 115 reports of sightings, including 92 confirmed as coming from "credible people". |
| However, he admitted that police drones launched to investigate could have caused "some level of confusion". | However, he admitted that police drones launched to investigate could have caused "some level of confusion". |
| Mr York revealed two drones found by police near the airport had now been ruled out of causing the disruption, which saw flights cancelled or diverted. | |
| Despite searches of 26 potential sites, he said: "I don't think we have found the drone responsible." | Despite searches of 26 potential sites, he said: "I don't think we have found the drone responsible." |
| However, he said he was "absolutely certain that there was a drone flying throughout the period that the airport was closed". | |
| He confirmed military technology had been installed following the chaos, "dramatically" improving security at the airport, but said he could not rule out future disruption of the same kind. |