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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder about a few things with the LGW drone attack

868 replies

badlydrawnperson · 20/12/2018 11:32

Before I get flamed (and not that anyone will resist flaming if they want to anyway). I know-

-It's not that easy
-Safety First
-People are doing their best

But I can't help wondering and idly speculating about why -

We apparently don't have any counter measures for this.
It can go on so long
We aren't seeing any News footage of the drone(s)

I am 100% NOT a conspiracy theorist but I am very curious about exactly what is going on.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
11
Espanio · 23/12/2018 13:08

Whoever has done this is most likely long gone now, and it will be very hard to prove that it was them unless something ties them to Gatwick at that specific time. I would be very surprised if we get any answers for this.

IamPickleRick · 23/12/2018 13:09

Breaking! The drone has been found! www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-46665615

IamPickleRick · 23/12/2018 13:10

Er, that article changed before my very eyes! It said damanaged drone parts found, now it says pair no longer suspects... Hmm

Clawdy · 23/12/2018 13:10

Their photo on every tabloid newspaper, snarling headlines "Are these the morons who ruined Christmas? " What a nightmare for them.

StealthPolarBear · 23/12/2018 13:13

Pickle I don't think those two things are contradictory

OhYouBadBadKitten · 23/12/2018 13:14

I had the same experience Pickles.

Espanio · 23/12/2018 13:16

twitter.com/DaveyPalmer1/status/1076828552589393920
shocking behaviour from the daily mail, as usual

Whisky2014 · 23/12/2018 13:28

Wow that is so shocking. They definitely need to pay them some damage control money.

NicoAndTheNiners · 23/12/2018 13:31

Will be interesting to see if they get compensation either from the police or from the press. Seems bonkers they were held for so long when the blokes boss said right from the start that she would give him an alibi and that it couldn't have been him.

You'd have thought after a ten minute conversation/phonecall with his workmates they'd have been released!

And yes, she looks amazing for her age, I'd have said a decade younger!

nickiredcar · 23/12/2018 13:32

I think they'll be ok, everyone will just remember them for looking fab for their age

PerkingFaintly · 23/12/2018 13:45

Gatwick drones pair 'no longer suspects'
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-46665615

Meanwhile, Det Ch Supt Jason Tingley told Sky News officers had found a damaged drone near the airport. He said they would be working with the "forensic opportunities that the drone presents".

Flights were suspended for more than 36 hours when a device was first spotted close to the runway on Wednesday night.

Det Ch Supt Tingley said the arrested man and woman had "fully co-operated" with inquiries and he was "satisfied that they are no longer suspects in the drone incidents at Gatwick".

"Our inquiry continues at a pace to locate those responsible for the drone incursions, and we continue to actively follow lines of investigation."

PerkingFaintly · 23/12/2018 13:47

Obviously that's more boring than "Bloody useless police obviously stopped investigating as soon as they arrested this couple and are just hoping we'll all forget about it, country going to the dogs, I blame ."

ManicUnicorn · 23/12/2018 14:00

So the BBC article said the drone had been found/damaged part found, and then suddenly changed? Do they think we were all born yesterday? A cover up happening before our eyes I think. They happen far more often than we realise.

Ta1kinpeace · 23/12/2018 14:01

IamPickle
The drones used were almost certainly being done on first person view - so that they could dodge around to avoid spotting.
So whoever was controlling them was either wearing a headset or had the view on their phone.
They would NOT have been having a cup of tea with somebody else.

I said at the top of the thread that I assumed two people in a moving car not far from the perimeter - one driving, one controlling and swapping batteries
I stand by that

PollyFlinderz · 23/12/2018 14:04

I feel very sorry for this couple. To be dragged out of your house screaming. They must be traumatised.

TheBaltictriangle · 23/12/2018 14:06

I don't think that the newspapers should have printed photos of the 'suspected' pair. They have now been released and not regarded as suspects yet their photos & names will forever be associated with this.

TooManyPaws · 23/12/2018 14:08

Sounds like the tip off was something like "the bloke at No 42 is into drones in a big way" and wham bam the police saw the case as solved.

ManicUnicorn · 23/12/2018 14:23

So the Police decided to keep them in custody for 36 hours all because a busy body neighbour reported them?

DeepanKrispanEven · 23/12/2018 14:37

Their photo on every tabloid newspaper, snarling headlines "Are these the morons who ruined Christmas?

That's got to be worth a few quid in compensation. I hope they go for exemplary damages, the press should have learnt from the Christopher Jefferies debacle.

thefinn · 23/12/2018 14:37

Hard to even imagine this couple's feelings. I don't seem to get over it maybe only because I still remember a christmas murder of a woman whose innocent landlord was detained for being eccentric. I remember his name still. Horrible but I hope the woman reads this as we couldn't believe her age.. i guess that's some condolence however tiny.

Buster72 · 23/12/2018 14:39

They were suspects they got arrested, interviews and released. Painful I know but it's how our system works.
No need for the gutter press to jump on couple.....

DeepanKrispanEven · 23/12/2018 14:41

ManicUniform, the online BBC article simply changed from a headline saying the drone had been found to the current one. The article itself still says that damaged bits of drone have been found - there's no cover up at all. It's entirely commonplace to change headlines as a story develops, that's one of the advantages (from the news reporter's point of view) of online reporting.

nickiredcar · 23/12/2018 15:16

Unless they missed work or need counciling I don't know what good compensation will do?

Won't affect the police at all.

I want to know why they were held for so long? As a family with a couple of drones I'm concerned we could be next!

PollyFlinderz · 23/12/2018 15:34

Would they have had DNA samples taken and as a result be on a database just because the police were useless.

ErrolTheDragon · 23/12/2018 15:40

Would they have had DNA samples taken and as a result be on a database just because the police were useless.

Only temporarily

'Since the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 in 2012, those not charged or not found guilty must have their DNA data deleted within a specified period of time.[3]'
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/UnitedKingdommNationalDNAADatabase