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    Courtesy of the Times.


    Chris Grayling shelved plans to introduce laws regulating drone use in Britain despite being warned on multiple occasions about the risk they posed to airports, The Times has learnt. Gatwick was forced last night to shut for the third time in three days after another drone sighting, causing further misery for thousands of passengers. It reopened after about 90 minutes. A man and woman were later arrested by police. The army and police had appeared powerless to stop drone operators despite deploying a counter-drone system that they said was capable of jamming the devices.

    This year the Department for Transport quietly ditched plans for a draft bill aimed at controlling drones and developing technology to prevent them from being used near airports. The legislation, which had been due for publication in the spring, was dropped amid pressures on the department, with civil servants diverted to work on Brexit.

    This happened despite warnings about the dangers that drones posed to airports. In July last year Gatwick was closed twice after a device was flown within the airport perimeter. This year a drone came within 20ft of an aircraft carrying up to 180 passengers. Officials said last night that the draft legislation would not be published until next year. The government has not responded to a consultation on the plans that closed in September.

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