Ben Stansall, AFP | Passengers sit with their luggage in the South Terminal building at London Gatwick Airport, south of London, on December 21, 2018, as flights started to resume following the closing of the airfield due to a drones flying.

British police on Sunday released without charge two people arrested in an inquiry into the illegal use of drones at London's Gatwick Airport that crippled operations for three days last week.

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Sussex Police arrested a 47-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman from the local area late on Friday after drones were flown onto the airfield between Wednesday and Friday, forcing about 1,000 flights to be diverted or cancelled and affecting 140,000 passengers.

"Both people have fully co-operated with our enquiries, and I am satisfied that they are no longer suspects in the drone incidents at Gatwick," Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Tingley said on Sunday.

#GatwickDrones | If you have any information please contact Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111 or through their anonymous online form at Crimestoppers website. Payout on the reward will be made only if the information is given to Crimestoppers first pic.twitter.com/o9HyYqsOP5 Sussex Police (@sussex_police) December 23, 2018

A damaged drone was recovered close to the perimeter of the airport, Tingley said, and it is now being forensically examined, for example for clues about whether it was controlled remotely from afar or by somebody in the vicinity.

Police said they were actively following lines of investigation to catch those responsible for the most disruptive incursions from unmanned aerial vehicles seen at any major airport.

Drones were spotted at Britain's second-largest airport on Wednesday evening, forcing it to close its runway in the run up to Christmas. Every time the airport sought to reopen the runway, the drones returned.

Authorities finally regained control over the airfield after the army deployed unidentified military technology to guard the area, reassuring the airport that it was safe enough to fly.

Our runway is open. Passengers are advised to check with their airline before travelling to the airport. Gatwick Airport LGW (@Gatwick_Airport) December 22, 2018

The drones caused misery for travellers, many sleeping on the airport floor as they searched for alternative routes to holiday destinations and Christmas family gatherings.

Sussex Police are reporting that Gatwick Airport Ltd is offering a £50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

A statement released on Sussex Police force’s website said the probe was ongoing, and officers were using “a range of tactics” to “build resilience to detect and mitigate further incursions from drones”.

“We continue to urge the public, passengers and the wider community around Gatwick to be vigilant and support us by contacting us immediately if they believe they have any information that can help us in bringing those responsible to justice,” the statement added.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)

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