An RAF plane used to transport members of the Royal Family and prime ministers came dangerously close to colliding with an illegally flown drone. The incident happened on the afternoon of June 19 this year as the Voyager, painted in the patriotic colours of the Union Jack, was approaching RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, an official investigation has heard.

The drone was spotted by both pilots at an altitude of 2200 feet — more than five times the legal altitude limit for unmanned aircraft, which is 400 feet. The plane, flying at about 320 mph, was just 30 feet away from colliding with the drone, which could have had serious consequences.

Voyager, which was converted into a VIP jet in 2016 with satellite communications and missile defence systems, cost around £10m. In 2020, the plane was given a £900 repaint in the Union Jack colours at the behest of then Prime Minister Boris Johnson, replacing its previous military grey livery.