A window fitter arrested on suspicion of carrying out the Gatwick drone attack was at work throughout “much of” the disruption, his boss insisted.

His former partner also said that he was with her during another time that the drone was seen over the airport.

Drone enthusiast, Paul Gait, 47, was detained along with his wife Elaine Kirk, 54, at their home in Crawley, West Sussex, just a five-minute drive from the airport’s perimeter.

Friends of the couple said Ms Kirk had “no interest” in drones or flying.

The pair were being questioned on suspicion of causing three days of chaos at Britain’s second busiest airport by repeatedly flying a device into restricted air space.

The first reported sighting of a drone was at around 9pm on Wednesday, forcing the closure of the airport. Police said there were around 50 other reported sightings throughout Thursday, with the last one at 9.52pm.

But Mr Gait’s boss insisted the father of two had been at work from early on the Thursday morning and had even worked late that night to finish a job.