DRONE pilots have been warned that irresponsible use of the machines could put lives at risk following a near-miss at Bicester Airfield.

Julian Bane, chief flying instructor of Bicester Gliding Centre who operate the Launton airfield on behalf of site owners Bicester Heritage, warned it was 'only a matter of time' before a drone and aircraft collided and lives were lost.

He said: "There was an incident last week where a glider was only about 50m away, and if the drone had been at the full allowed height of 400ft then there could have been a fatal collision."

Mr Bane stressed the airfield did not want to ban drones but instead work more closely with those using them to ensure everyone remains safe.

He said: "Drones are bound to be a popular gift this Christmas and we just want people to think about the dangers.

"A drone weighs about as much as a laptop and a glider can come in at up to 70mph.

"It would be like someone throwing a laptop in your face at that speed."

"I think it is ignorance in the true sense of the word from people about the risks and the drone code produced by the Civil Aviation Authority."

The code warns users to stay well away from aircraft, airfields and airports, stating: "If your drone endangers the safety of an aircraft it is a criminal offence and you could go to prison for five years."

Jeremy Costello, who runs Bicester-based drone photography business Access All Aerials, said: "Drones sadly have quite a bad reputation and I think some of the responsibility lies with retailers who sell them without fully explaining the legal and safety aspects to buyers.

"I don't think people do it out of malice, they just aren't aware of the risks."

Mr Costello, who has owned a drone for two-and-a-half years, added: "Everyone from police to airfields are playing catch up in a sense because there was no idea of how popular drones would be.

"I set up a Facebook group for drone users in the Bicester area and that alone has more than 250 people in it."

Mr Bane urged anyone who planned to fly near Bicester Airfield to get in touch with them first, saying: "We are more than happy to work with drone users.

"We have had some who operate locally meet with us and they were just as keen as we were to make sure it was safe."

Last week, four men were killed in a mid-air crash between a helicopter and a light aircraft over Waddesdon, Buckinghamshire, near Aylesbury.

Mr Bane said it was 'only a matter of time' before the same happened with a drone, stating: "The will be a collision between an aircraft and a drone one day that leads to a fatality.

"When that day comes there will be screams for tight legislation and we want to be able to lobby our MPs and say there are safe ways of doing this."

Mr Costello did not agree a fatality was inevitable but said: "I think an accident is going to happen in some form and safety has to be the first thing drone users think about.

"I would advise anyone who gets one as a Christmas gift to join a local group so they can get advice from others."