Two people who were held over the drone disruption at Gatwick Airport have been released without charge.

In a statement, Sussex Police said the man and woman arrested were no longer suspects following the widespread disruption of flights through the illegal use of drones.

Gatwick Airport Limited is now offering a £50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

It is in addition to the £10,000 offered by Conservative peer Lord Ashcroft through Crimestoppers.

Gatwick couple return home

Sussex Police Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Tingley told Sky News that officers had recovered a damaged drone on the north perimeter of the airport in Horley.


He said: "Obviously we will be doing everything we can with regards to forensically examining that drone and that is something that is being fast-tracked and expedited."

He was later asked about speculation that there was never a drone in the first place and he said: "Of course, that's a possibility.

"We are working with human beings saying they have seen something."

But he clarified that police were still "actively investigating sightings of drone activity" at the airport after 67 reports from the public, passengers, police officers and airport staff between 19 December and 21 December.

It follows a police search at an address in Crawley on Saturday after the two people were arrested on suspicion of "disrupting services of civil aviation aerodrome to endanger or likely to endanger safety of operations or persons".

Gatwick drone 'caught on camera'

In an earlier statement, the officer said: "Both people have fully co-operated with our inquiries and I am satisfied that they are no longer suspects in the drone incidents at Gatwick.

"It is important to remember that when people are arrested in an effort to make further inquiries it does not mean that they are guilty of an offence and Sussex Police would not seek to make their identity public."

He told Sky News officers were acting on information passed on by the public when they made the arrests.

"I'm confident that that arrest was justified and of course over the last day or so we have been meticulously investigating their involvement and I am satisfied now that they are no longer suspects in this investigation," he added.

The police chief said the two people released were being offered support by officers.

'Drone incident on this scale unprecedented'

The disruption began at about 9pm on Wednesday, disrupting about 1,000 flights and ruining the travel plans of more than 140,000 people.

Gatwick - Britain's second busiest airport - serves more than 43 million passengers a year.

Gatwick said a full schedule had run on Sunday and that there were no cancellations related to drone activity, despite delays in line with "normal operations" during the busy winter period.

However, it said police and the RAF remain at the airport.

Meanwhile, Labour accused the government of failing to act on the risks posed by drones at Gatwick and called for an independent inquiry.

"The government was repeatedly warned about the risks posed by drones to aviation but failed to act," said shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald.

"The delay in bringing forward legislation is indicative of this government's failure to concentrate on the day-to-day business in front of them. They have taken their eye off the ball."

According to The Times, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling put plans on hold as a result of pressure on his department, with civil servants diverted to deal with Brexit.

However, the Department for Transport (DfT) said the claims were "a combination of nonsense and gross misrepresentation".

A DfT spokesman added: "The drones at Gatwick have been flown illegally. The government changed the law this year to make it illegal to fly drones within 1,000m of an airport or above 400ft. The law couldn't be any more clear."