London's Heathrow Airport says flight departures have been suspended as a precaution after a reported drone sighting.

The suspension of takeoffs from Britain's busiest airport was announced shortly before 18:00 on Tuesday.

Airport officials say they are working closely with police to clarify the situation.

The report follows the pre-Christmas shutdown of London's Gatwick Airport for parts of three consecutive days due to reported drone sightings.

The Gatwick closure led to more than 100 000 people being stranded or delayed, the worst ever drone-related disruption at an international airport.

We are responding to a drone sighting at Heathrow and are working closely with the Met Police to prevent any threat to operational safety. As a precautionary measure, we have stopped departures while we investigate. We apologise to passengers for any inconvenience this may cause.
— Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) January 8, 2019

News24.com | London\'s Heathrow Airport halts departures for drone report

London's Heathrow Airport halts departures for drone report