The couple arrested and released without charge in relation to the Gatwick drone incident could win at least £75,000 from the newspapers who identified them, according to a leading libel lawyer.
Mark Stephens, head of media law at Howard Kennedy, said they had a strong legal case if they wished to pursue legal action. “Absent of a compelling reason and the police saying you can, you may no longer identify people who have been arrested.
“The damage is likely to be in the region of £75,000 to £125,000. It could be more when you total all of the news outlets, because each one is going to pay something for the damage it caused. I don’t see any lawyer who wouldn’t take it on a no-win-no-fee basis.”
Stephens said the case is the first major test of privacy law since Sir Cliff Richard’s landmark privacy victory against the BBC earlier this year, which set a higher bar for naming individuals who have been arrested but not charged.
Not all parts of the media named the couple, with most broadcasters and some national newspapers, including the Observer, deciding to stick to the police statement.
It is unclear whether the couple are currently planning legal action.