Operator allegedly flew it just metres from busy road in Clayton West
Police are investigating the circumstances whereby an illegal drone pilot flew a drone just metres from one of Huddersfield’s busiest roads.
The member of Drone Safe Register, a group of qualified and professional drone pilots who fly within the UK, said he was shocked at what he witnessed near to Wakefield Road, Clayton West on the morning of Friday, July 14.
He told his organisation that he had seen the pilot flying and filming a promotional video for Parcelforce.
The DSR member, who asked not to be named, said he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing and which was a clear breach of the UK’s Air Navigation Order and the CAA’s drone code.
The red Parcelforce van parked up in Clayton West during the promotional video filming using the drone (Image: DSR)
This is his account of what he saw and how the conversation unfolded: “Today I witnessed a media company filming on behalf of Parcelforce. I was watching a film crew film a house and a Parcelforce van when a car arrives and a man pulls out a DJI Phantom and starts flying within metres of a main road.
“After filming the incident on my mobile phone camera for 10 minutes, I approached the film crew and said, ‘Can I ask what you are doing?’
The response was, ‘Filming for Parcelforce.’ To which I replied, ‘Can I ask which media company are you?’ No answer.
Next, I directed my attention to the pilot, ‘Can I ask if you have a licence, (aka CAA approval), to operate a drone?’ The pilot said, ‘No I don’t have a licence.’ Me: ‘You do know you are breaking the law?’ The pilot replied, ‘No.’
“If this is the case, one has to ask how such a big national brand, Parcelforce could instruct a production company to produce a promotional video using an illegal drone pilot?
“How can a media company working for such a large company think it is acceptable to endanger the public and hire an illegal drone pilot?”
A Parcelforce Worldwide spokeswoman said: “We can confirm we were using film equipment to produce footage for a forthcoming social media campaign for Parcelforce Worldwide.
“The agency commissioned to produce this footage on our behalf, has disclosed that a contracted crew member separately tested his own personal drone on location.
“This was not part of our filming brief. The agency confirms that the individual was immediately reprimanded and is no longer used by them.
“No footage derived from the inappropriate use of the drone has been used by Parcelforce Worldwide.”
A West Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: “Police were called at 11.23am on Friday, July 14, following a report of a drone being flown close to the A363 Wakefield Road in Clayton West.
“Enquiries are ongoing.”