A bungling cop crashed a drone into a house during a major operation to arrest suspects.
The officer from Durham Police lost sight of the drone he was flying before it collided with a house.
It happened on a street in Horden, County Durham while officers were carrying out an operation to arrest suspects.
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The Echo understands the pilot was being supported by an ‘observer’ who became ‘distracted’ before the crash.
Durham Police suspended the officer from flying while they were given further training to test their ‘safety and competency’.
They later passed a reassessment and were reinstated as a pilot.
The drone was ‘slightly’ damaged during the collision. No damage was caused to the property.
The incident occurred on September 12 last year, but a report into the blunder has just been published.
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A Durham Constabulary spokesperson said: “The drone was being flown by an officer during an operation to arrest suspects at an address in Horden in September last year.
“During the flight, the drone collided with a house. This caused slight damage to the drone and no damage to any other property.
“In line with protocol, Durham Constabulary reported the incident to the Civil Aviation Authority and the pilot was suspended from flying temporarily.
“They were given further training and took part in an additional assessment to test their safety and competency.
“They passed the assessment and have since been reinstated as a pilot.”
The unmanned aircraft in question was a DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual. The drone is no longer sold, but a newer model of the same drone sells from £1,729.
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