UNMANNED military drone flights have resumed at Aberporth following a crash last month.

A Watchkeeper drone launched from West Wales Airport came down near the village on June 13, sparking concerns among local residents – especially at Penparc School which lies below the flight path - and led to flights being suspended while an investigation was carried out.

Last year, two unmanned Watchkeeper aircraft were also lost in the Irish Sea after taking off from West Wales Airport, again leading military chiefs to temporarily ground the entire fleet.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “We can confirm that Watchkeeper resumed flying from West Wales Airport on Tuesday, July 17.

“Safety remains of paramount importance in all that we do and, following a following a Safety Review Board review of the initial analysis, it has been concluded that it is safe to resume flying.”

The independent Defence Accident Investigation Branch inquiry into the incident is ongoing and the spokesman added it was inappropriate to comment further while the investigation continues.

Watchkeeper was brought into service by the military in 2014 and was deployed in Afghanistan – it has flown thousands of hours and provides intelligence-gathering and surveillance for the British Army.