The UK must “up its game” when it comes to combating criminal drones, the Met Police Commissioner has said after drone sightings caused 36 hours of chaos at Gatwick Airport.

Around 1,000 flights were cancelled or diverted across three days last week after drones were spotted near the airport’s runways, with as many as 140,000 people’s Christmas travel plans thought to have been disrupted. 

“The drone technology is always changing – we have to keep up with that,” Cressida Dick told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme, calling it a “difficult” situation.

“I think the whole country and certainly the government will have watched what’s gone on and say we need to up our game here – we need to work even more closely with the private companies, we need to work even more closely with the military,” she said.  

The UK must be able to prevent the criminal use of drones near our airports, Dick continued. 

“If somebody does do that we need to find them as quickly as possible, get the drone under control and also bring the people to justice.” 

Under laws introduced this summer, it is illegal to fly drones within a kilometre of airport boundaries. Those who break the rules face fines of up to £2,500 or up to give years in prison. 

The police have yet to charge anyone in connection with the Gatwick Airport incident. A couple from West Sussex were arrested on Friday, before being released without charge. 

According to the BBC, the airport has spent £5million in the past week on new equipment and technology to prevent copycat attacks.