Vine’s April Fool backfires after he is reported to police
JEREMY VINE was forced to clarify that a video he posted of his “drone” being taken out by a hawk was an April Fool prank after social media users reported him to the police.
The broadcaster who regularly posts videos of his daily London commute, shared footage yesterday which appeared to show his drone being smashed into by a bird of prey while he was cycling in Hyde Park.
He posted: “WHAT THE HELL – using a drone for today’s early cycle ride, and it got taken out by a hawk or red kite in HYDE PARK FFS. Smashed to bits, £400 gone in a second.”
Hours later, he announced that the post was an April Fools’ Day joke after social media users said they had reported him to the Metropolitan Police, RSPCA, the Civil Aviation Authority and The Royal Parks.
The video was so convincing that it even took in Matthew Stadlen, a political commentator and bird watcher who is the author of How to See Birds.
He said: “This is incredible footage. It’s definitely not a red kite and doesn’t look like a sparrowhawk. Too big for a kestrel and wrong colouring. Looks like a buzzard to me. Didn’t know we had them in Hyde Park.” He later realised he had been fooled, and said: “Ah. An April Fool. This is the greatest blow Twitter has ever delivered to me.”
UAS Flight Ops, a drone operating company, wrote to Vine, accusing him of breaking laws which forbid people from flying a drone “without maintaining visual sight at all times”.
The company also said that Hyde Park is within a restricted airspace area which requires permission from the Civil Aviation Authority.
Vine said he created the video using an Insta360 helmet camera. He said that after apparently being reported to the police and other authorities, he had to clarify that he “was not flying a drone and no wildlife was involved”.