Amateur drone pilot sparked Coronation panic when he entered no-fly zone over Buckingham Palace – sparking fears Vladimir Putin was trying to sabotage Charles’ big day

An amateur drone pilot sparked Coronation panic after entering a no-fly zone over Buckingham Palace on the day of the ceremony, it has been revealed.

Police chiefs were concerned at the time that the move may have been a Russian attempt to sabotage the big day.

In fact, drone flights were banned in central London on May 6 as part of a series of security measures implemented to protect coronation ceremonies.

On the morning of the ceremony, the event’s radar operators spotted a drone buzzing over Buckingham Palace, Westminster and Kensington. The times reported.

The incident subsequently set off a high-level alarm as commanders scrambled to quickly determine where exactly the plane had come from and what its intention was.

One of the main concerns was that the drone appeared to emerge from the “vague address of the Russian embassy” in the gardens of Kensington Palace, according to the publication.

On May 4, just two days before the King’s grand ceremony, Moscow had claimed that two Ukrainian kamikaze drones exploded over Putin’s Kremlin residence in the early hours of the morning in “a planned terrorist act and an attempt to murder”.

A source told the newspaper that at one point police discussed shooting the drone, but the device eventually left the security zone.

A police investigation eventually led to the arrest of Waleed Maray, 36, the drone operator.

The US citizen pleaded guilty to six breaches of the Air Navigation Order 2016 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on November 20, 2023. He was fined £4,750.

Commander Karen Findlay, who led the police operation during the Coronation, said: “Maray’s actions were extremely irresponsible and dangerous.

“Not only did he ignore the ban on the use of drones during the King’s Coronation and cause a major security alert during one of the most important events London has ever hosted, but he did not think about what would have happened if the drone had fallen on any of the Crowds of people who had gathered in London to celebrate.

He continued: “We take the use of drones in restricted airspace very seriously, especially during large events in the capital, where they pose a risk to the public and can cause concern and major disruption.”

The rules for flying drones are set by airline regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and are based on the risk of where the flights are taking place, the proximity to other people and the size and weight of the drones.

However, this only applies to drones that fly outdoors; Flights inside buildings or in areas from which the device cannot escape are not subject to this legislation.

Drone operators with cameras or devices weighing more than 250g must register their devices with the CAA and renew this registration each year.

Commander Findlay added: “I hope this case will deter anyone considering flying drones in these circumstances in the future, and demonstrate that the police will pursue those responsible and seek to bring proceedings against them.”

Air traffic controllers had issued a special notice just days before the coronation, banning drone flights below 760 meters (2,500 feet) within a 2.5 mile radius from central London.

Police also warned drone operators that they had the “ability to detect illegal drone use, locate pilots and seize equipment, and anyone found flying a drone may be fined or face prosecution.”