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Man hauled before beak for using drone to film Premiership matches

Thou shalt not fly thy aero-toy over the mighty Kop

A Nottingham man has been summonsed to court for allegedly breaching the Air Navigation Order while filming Premier League matches using a drone.

Nigel Wilson, 42, of Rockingham Grove, Bingham, Nottingham has been summoned to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on April 16 in relation to 17 alleged offences under the Air Navigation Order 2009.

The legal system's primary beef with Wilson seems to be his failure to "maintain direct, unaided visual contact" with his small, unmanned surveillance aircraft for the purpose of avoiding collisions, although no collisions or damage to property are reported to have taken place.

Most of the alleged offences occurred at Liverpool's Anfield Stadium. An additional allegation was said to have happened at the King Power Stadium in Leicester when, on December 2, Liverpool FC came from behind to nick an away win against relegation fodder Leicester City.

DJI Phantom 2 - Leicester City vs Liverpool FC 1 - 3 - Drone

The YouTube account Drone4Adventures features footage of football games corresponding to those attended by Mr Wilson.

Drones have been a touchy subject for football since an international fixture between Serbia and Albania in 2014, during which a drone carrying the provocative Greater Albanian flag was flown across the pitch, sparking a small riot.

Earlier this month the House of Lords called for the mandatory registration of all civilian drones. ®

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