A man has been ordered to pay nearly £3,000 in fines and costs after illegally flying his drone over a football stadium and exceeding legal height limits on multiple occasions.
Nicholas Durbin, 45, of Upton, Wirral, was found guilty at Sefton Magistrates’ Court on March 13, 2025, of four offenses related to drone operation. The court heard that Durbin flew his drone from the Wirral, crossing the River Mersey to Everton’s new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock on May 9, 2024. During the flight, he exceeded the 400ft height limit, posing a potential risk to other airspace users, and flew up to 1.3km from his take-off point, violating the requirement to maintain visual line of sight.
Durbin committed a similar violation on March 20, 2024, when he flew a drone nearly 300ft above the legal height limit in Anglesey. On that occasion, he also flew 2.39km from his take-off point, again losing visual contact with the aircraft.
He was convicted of two counts of failing to comply with operating height regulations and two counts of failing to keep an unmanned aircraft in sight. As a result, Durbin was fined £1,600, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £640 and court costs of £650, bringing the total to £2,890.
Sergeant Kyle Sayers of Merseyside Police warned that authorities would be stepping up enforcement against illegal drone use, particularly during major public events.
“Over the coming months, Merseyside Police will be proactively targeting illegal drone use, and during the Aintree Festival next month, a temporary restricted airspace will be in place,” he said. “Drone users who fly inside a restricted airspace without permission will be guilty of committing an offense and could be prosecuted, as well as having their equipment seized and confiscated.”
Merseyside Police have previously imposed drone restrictions during high-profile events such as Eurovision, the Aintree Festival and the visit of HMS Prince of Wales. Officers say these measures, along with road closures and river patrols, are crucial in ensuring public safety.
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