Met Police are appealing for plane spotters to help police the skies around Heathrow after drone sightings caused chaos in Gatwick last month.

The new scheme, “Heathrow Airport Watch”, is looking for sharp-eyed volunteers, to help them to prevent crime and terrorism.

The move comes weeks after Gatwick airport saw about 800 flights cancelled, leaving 120,000 people stranded just days before Christmas.

A similar incident happened last week at Heathrow airport, when all departures were stopped for several hours after a drone was reported to have been sighted.

Katrina Festorazzi, drone videographer from Strood, is not hopeful of the scheme and said the main responsibility still lies with the public.

“Although the scheme sounds like a not bad idea, I still think people should stay mindful.

“My biggest shock was to understand how this incident could happen. If you were to go to a no-fly zone, which the airport is, it wouldn’t work. As a drone operator, I know it would return back to me or it would just not fly over.”

Drone users can be jailed for up to five years and fined a maximum of £2,500 if they fly the remote-controlled devices above 400 feet and within one kilometre of airport boundaries, following the new laws the government introduced in July.

Mrs Festorazzi said that it took her six months to get a drone license and as a licensed drone pilot she now has to fill out a brief every time she flies a drone.

“I bought an insurance and signed up for a drone school, which included 16 hours of online classroom time to understand the laws, where you learn about flying and privacy.

“Then there is an exam and I had to go to the test centre to take it, and you have to pass it with over 80% score. Finally, you have to submit a list with five to ten hours of flight time before you can do your flight exam”, she said.

Police have now warned anyone given a drone for Christmas to follow the rules or face serious punishment following the Gatwick disruption. And although most cheaper drones weigh less than 200g and do not have to be registered with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), they still pose potential threats.

Mrs Festorazzi added: “I was shocked seeing toy drones in children’s section in a shopping mall before Christmas, because even the toy drone isn’t a toy. What if the it goes to someone’s window, damages somebody’s car, hurts an animal or a person?

“Toy drones are still very dangerous, and parents buying their children these gadgets act very irresponsibly.”