U.K. Police Investigate Drone Sighting That Suspended Flights at Heathrow Airport

Police and military are reportedly investigating a drone that was seen flying over London’s Heathrow Airport on Tuesday, BBC News reports. Scotland Yard reportedly said a “full criminal investigation” was launched into the drone incident, which suspended departures from the airport for about an hour. Commander Stuart Cundy also confirmed that “military assistance” was brought in for the probe and “significant resources” were being deployed to find the culprit. “I want to be clear that the illegal operation of drones at an airfield is extremely dangerous,” Cundy said. “Under the Aviation Security Act it is an offense to endanger the safety of an aircraft, anyone found guilty of this offense could face a life sentence.”

This comes after drone sightings at Gatwick Airport late last year led to about 1,000 flights being canceled over a three-day period. According to the BBC, Gatwick announced it was spending over $6 million to prevent future attacks. Heathrow also told the BBC it would buy systems to avoid drone issues in the future.