Home Office Surveillance Drone Goes Up in Flames Near Folkestone on M20
Emergency services rushed to the M20 after reports surfaced of a Home Office surveillance drone on fire near Folkestone this afternoon.
Drone Blaze Between Junctions 12 and 13
The fire broke out on the coastbound carriageway between Junction 13 (Folkestone) and Junction 12 (Cheriton) shortly after 2pm. Eyewitnesses spotted smoke and wreckage at the roadside, with some claiming the drone’s registration number “G-TEKE” was visible.
It remains unclear whether the drone crashed mid-flight or caught fire while being transported by road.
Drone Found on Hard Shoulder: Home Office Branding Visible
Photos and dashcam footage show an upturned, smouldering drone emblazoned with Home Office logos on the hard shoulder. Firefighters quickly doused the flames using hose reel jets. No injuries were reported.
Initially described by National Highways as a “vehicle fire,” the wreckage has since been identified as a Tekever AR5 Evolution MK2 drone, designed for long-range maritime surveillance with a flight endurance of over 20 hours.
£450,000 Drone Plays Key Role in English Channel Patrols
In 2023, the Home Office inked a three-year deal with Tekever to deploy these high-tech drones as part of the Small Boats Operational Command, tracking migrant crossings over the English Channel.
The cause of the fire remains a mystery. Traffic reopened by 3pm, and both the Home Office and Kent Fire and Rescue Service are investigating.
Kent Fire and Rescue said: “We were called to reports of a fire on the M20 between Junctions 12 and 13, near Folkestone. Two fire engines attended, and crews found a small remote-controlled aircraft being transported in a vehicle had caught alight.”
