£400k to check out ‘drones’
COPS spent more than
£400,000 on a “shambolic” probe into drone flights that paralysed an airport.
Sussex Police are facing a backlash over the 36-hour lockdown at Gatwick just before Christmas that led to the cancellation of around
1,000 flights.
The travel plans of 140,000 people were disrupted.
A senior police officer claimed there may never have been any drones over Gatwick – only for the force to later issue a “clarification”.
A further drone “sighting” proved to be lights on a crane.
Sussex Chief Constable Giles York admitted drone reports over Gatwick may have been police units.
Documents show Sussex Police forked out £419,000 on the search, including
£332,000 on overtime and bank holiday pay. They also spent £52,000 for 10 specialist officers on the site – being reduced to four this month – and £12,000 on aid from neighbouring forces in Cambridge and Essex.
The rest of the bill was
£5,000 on transport, £4,000 on search equipment and
£14,000 on officers’ food and accommodation.
A source said: “Given the shambolic handling of the investigation, it’s astonishing that the public taxpayer has been left with a £400,000 bill.”