DJI Phantom 1 1530564a” by © Nevit Dilmen. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

A 42 year old man from Nottingham has been summonsed to appear at Westminster Magistrates accused of civil aviation offences for flying drones over the Palace of Westminster, near Buckingham Palace and over HMS Belfast on the River Thames.

Nigel Wilson from Rockingham Grove, Bingham has been accused of 17 offences- mainly in relation to flying over soccer stadiums around the country.

He’s been called to appear in court on the 16th April.

The London offences are alleged to have taken place on the 27th day of September 2014.

The specific charges are that:

• at Palace of Westminster, London did not maintain direct, unaided visual contact with a small unmanned surveillance aircraft to monitor its flight path in relation to persons and structures namely House of Parliament for the purpose of avoiding collisions
• at Queen Victoria Memorial Outside Buckingham Palace, London did not maintain direct, unaided visual contact with a small unmanned surveillance aircraft to monitor its flight path in relation to persons and structures namely Buckingham Palace for the purpose of avoiding collisions

Buckingham Palace from gardens, London, UK – Diliff” by Diliff – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

• at North Bank of River Thames, London did not maintain direct, unaided visual contact with a small unmanned surveillance aircraft to monitor its flight path in relation to persons and structures namely HMS Belfast and at The Shard for the purpose of avoiding collisions

Each offence is in contravention of Articles 166 (3) and Article 241 (6) of the Air Navigation Order 2009.