The drone attack on Gatwick airport was an inside job carried out by someone who had a link into what was going on at the airport, says its chief.

In his first interview since the chaotic episode in December last year, Gatwick's chief operating officer, Chris Woodroofe said that the drone's pilot "seemed to be able to see what was happening on the runway" and that the vehicle was specially designed to avoid detection.

Mr Woodroofe, who was the “gold commander” in charge of the airport’s response to the sustained attack, told BBC’s Panorama that the pilot may even have been “following the airport's actions by eavesdropping on radio or internet communications.”

More than 140,000 passengers were affected by the 33-hour shutdown of Britain's second busiest airport, with around 1,000 flights delayed or cancelled between December 19 and 21.

Despite nearly 70 drone sightings reported in the space of a few hours, no photographic evidence exists that shows a drone above the airfield. This fuelled speculation that there may never have been one, but this was vehemently denied by the airport chief.