A man who caused a football match to be stopped by flying a drone overhead was caught – by a police drone. Lewis Franks, 27, admitted buzzing Chesterfield FC's stadium on May 7.
He flew the drone as low as 6.1m (20ft) over the National League play-off semi-final against Bromley, which was attended by 9,600 fans. The referee took the players off the pitch for several minutes before the device was seen to land.
Footage released after Franks was fined £2,466, shows him trying to flee the area in his car. Ironically, a police drone was used to track Franks from a car park near the stadium before being arrested.
Franks, of Chesterfield, admitted piloting the drone illegally, driving a car without insurance and failing to stop for police. He was fined a combined £2,466 and ordered to pay a £986 victim surcharge plus £85 costs at North East Derbyshire and Dales magistrates' court.
PC Stephen Booth, from Derbyshire Police Drones Team, said: “Franks flew his drone just meters above the pitch at the Technique Stadium with no consideration at all for the safety of the players, match officials, and nearly 10,000 supporters in the stands.
“The sighting of such an unexpected flying object could’ve led to panic in the stands. Footage from Franks own device showed the drone had been over the stadium for a considerable amount of time before it was spotted, and the players were taken off the pitch by the referee.
“In that time, it was fortunate something far more serious didn’t happen such as Franks losing control and the drone hitting a player or flying off into the stands and injuring supporters. Being in control of a flying object such as a drone, is a big responsibility and it is a pilot’s duty to ensure they are fully in control and are operating it within the boundaries of the law, something Franks clearly wasn’t at the time.
“As a result of his actions, he is now having to deal with the consequences with this case also acting as a warning to anyone thinking they can fly their drone wherever and whenever they like.”
