Thousands of air passengers from Kent faced further disruption to their festive holidays after Gatwick temporarily suspended flights due to a suspected drone flight.

Hundreds of flights were delays or cancelled after a drone caused panic at the airport yesterday.

A spokesman for Gatwick airport said shortly after 5pm that the airport was suspending flights "due to an unconfirmed report of a drone sighting".

Flights resumed at about 6.30pm.

The owner of the drone is not known.

One family in Maidstone had their holiday to Lapland hanging in the balance yesterday because of the drone controversy.

A Sussex Police statement said: "Gatwick Airport have advised us that airfield operations have been suspended for safety reasons while reports of renewed drone activity are investigated.

"Sussex Police is supporting the airport and is proactively deploying significant resources to seek and locate the drone and its operator and to ensure the safety of the travelling public and all those in and around the airport."