A visitor to Sidmouth said he was hit by a drone as he walked along the Esplanade, leaving him 'grazed and in a state of shock'.

John Phillpott, 75, from Worcester, was in Sidmouth on Thursday (August 1) enjoying the pre-Folk Festival atmosphere. There were buskers playing music on the seafront and crowds of people milling about.

He said: "I was roughly opposite the hotels lining the seafront when suddenly I felt stabbing pains in my arm. I looked down and saw a drone had come to rest on the ground, its propellors spinning to a stop. It was blue and seemed to have some photographic apparatus attached. I looked at my arm, and there were several grazes, plus a bruise that was oozing some blood.

"I turned round and saw a young man with a hand-held drone operator. I remonstrated with him and he said 'it's perfectly legal, you know'. That's when the exchange suddenly hotted up, with me telling him in no uncertain manner what I thought.

"I've been visiting Sidmouth every summer for about 15 years and nothing like this has ever happened before. The front was jam-packed with people - it beggars belief what some individuals think is acceptable behaviour."

Drone operators are supposed to adhere to The Drone and Model Aircraft Code issued by the Civil Aviation Authority. The code clearly states that drones must not be flown within 50 metres of other people - unless they are with the operator - and should never be flown over people who are crowded together.

The code also states that any dangerous incidents or near misses must be reported to the Civil Aviation Authority, and Mr Phillpotts said he would be doing this.    

He said: "I - or even worse, a child - might have been seriously hurt. These drones are potentially lethal and should be banned from public places, especially crowded ones."