‘Signal jammers’ thwart Heathrow drone protest by environmentalists

A DRONE protest at Heathrow Airport failed to take off after some of them appeared to be prevented from working by what climate change activists suspect were signal jammers.

Environmental protest group Heathrow Pause, a splinter group of the Extinction Rebellion movement but separate from it, had intended to fly the devices in the five-kilometre exclusion zone around the transport hub in an attempt to disrupt flights.

The group claimed that of three attempted drone flights, at least one had flown “successfully”, although no departures from the airport had been affected.

But in a video released by the group in the early hours of yesterday, one activist can be seen attempting to get the small device to work and is heard to say: “They’re jamming the signal.”

Heathrow and police refused to comment on specific measures they may have taken to stop the protesters’ drones from working, but an expert said technology exists which can jam signals between operators and drones.

Richard Gill, chief executive of Drone Defence, said: “That technology is definitely available and can do exactly that.

“When a drone is operated remotely it relies on a radio connection between the drone and the pilot. Interference can cut that connection.”

He added: “We’re not privy to what the Metropolitan Police have deployed at Heathrow,” but said authorities have updated their approach since drones disrupted flights at Gatwick Airport last Christmas.

Heathrow Pause named two drone pilots who were arrested yesterday only as Marko and Steffen and said a man named Frank, who was filming the activists, was also detained.

Former Paralympian James Brown was also arrested at Terminal Two. He said there were up to 35 people willing to fly the devices throughout the day.

Mr Brown, who is partially sighted, did not actually fly a drone and said he held it above his head.

He added that police had visited his home address on Thursday evening, which was part of a pre-emptive wave of arrests in which officers detained three women and four men.

Mr Brown said: “The police actually came to my house last night but I’d already gone by then.

“My wife was there and she was really terrified.”

So far, 11 people have been arrested, with Extinction Rebellion co-founder Roger Hallam also among the suspected would-be pilots.

The activists being held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a public nuisance within the perimeter of Heathrow are aged between their 20s and 60s.

Reacting to the arrests, the group said: “The real objective was always to trigger a sensible, honest conversation, throughout society, on the dangerous folly of Heathrow expansion, with the ultimate objective of cancelling the third runway.

“That conversation is now happening. It is incumbent on all of us to keep it going.”

Scotland Yard said a dispersal order had been put in place at Heathrow until 4.30am on Sunday “to prevent criminal activity which poses a significant safety and security risk”, and a large police presence was seen in the area yesterday morning.

Planes landed at the airport as normal, with the first flights touching down just before 5am.