A low flying drone was spotted by a football referee at last night’s Mansfield Town fixture and play had to be stopped.
The Stag’s match against Scunthorpe United at the One Call Stadium was halted for several minutes after the referee spotted the drone hovering.
Officers were quickly able to locate where the drone landed and speak to the pilot who was cautioned. The drone was also seized by police.
The force has now issued a warning to people looking to record footage at future sporting events and to abide by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) rules.
Mansfield Town FC’s Dedicated Football Officer, Police Constable John Albanese, said: “The Mansfield Town match last night had to be stopped temporarily as a drone was flying above the ground.
“The game against Scunthorpe was halted for several minutes at around 7.12pm after a match official spotted the device hovering.
“It was seen landing in a garden by eagled-eyed ground security and subsequently officers were able to locate a drone along with the pilot in Bishop Street which is close to the stadium.
“A man was spoken to and cautioned. He stated he didn’t possess a licence or certificate to fly drones and officers seized the device.
“The rules set by the CAA apply in the UK and it doesn’t matter if you are a professional or hobbyist, you must have passed their online theory test and obtained your Flyer ID.
“Also as the owner or operator of a drone, you must register with the CAA for an Operator ID which is renewed every 12 months. As a general rule you must keep a minimum horizontal distance of 50m between your drone and people and keep at least 150m away from residential, recreational, commercial and industrial areas.
“Drones are continuously evolving and when operated correctly can be a valuable resource to agencies involved in law enforcement, search & rescue, agriculture and photography to name just a few.
“With technology advancing and the cost of these devices falling they are becoming more popular with hobbyist, however before you go out and fly your drone, we ask that you make yourselves aware of the CAA regulations.
“Clearly we appreciate these devices can be fun and are great at capturing some fantastic images and footage, however when public safety is compromised we have to take action.
“The match official has directions from the Football Association and protocols are in place for such incidents and despite supporters not being present within the stadium, the drone could easily fall from the sky and injure a player, official or staff member.”
For further guidance please visit: https://www.caa.co.uk/Consumers/Unmanned-aircraft-and-drones/
