Flights have been disrupted at Jersey Airport due to the unlawful operation of drones in the vicinity on Saturday evening, the airport and the island's chief minister have said.

States of Jersey Police said in an earlier statement there had been a "multi-agency response" to reports of multiple drones operating close to the airport on Friday evening.

It said the first report was received at around 8.20pm on Friday, with reported drone activity continuing until about 10.30pm.

Searches were carried out across several areas in the west of the island, but no drone operator has yet been identified, police said on Friday.

Three inbound aircraft were initially diverted and one of the three was eventually able to land safely in Jersey at around 11.45pm, the force added. The diverted flights were from Gatwick, Heathrow and Southampton.

Jersey Airport said in a statement late on Saturday evening there had been further flight disruption caused by drone activity.

It said: "Due to the illegal and persistent drone activity around the airport on Saturday evening, regrettably four flights were not able to land as scheduled.

"Airlines are now making alternative travel arrangements directly with passengers to get them to Jersey as quickly as possible." Flights from Heathrow and Southampton airports were cancelled on Saturday evening. Jersey Airport asked passengers hoping to travel on Sunday morning to check with their airlines for flight updates.

The statement from the airport added: "Our first priority is the safety of passengers, crew and public.

"We also fully appreciate the significant disruption, concern and frustration that this illegal activity has caused passengers, their families, friends and colleagues." Meanwhile, Jersey's chief minister, Senator Lyndon Farnham, said in a statement: "The deliberate and unlawful operation of drones in the vicinity of Jersey Airport over the past two evenings has caused significant disruption to passengers, airlines and airport operations.

"I would like to thank the teams from Ports of Jersey, States of Jersey Police, Air Traffic Control, the emergency services and all those involved for their swift and professional response to an extremely challenging situation.

"Their first priority has rightly been the safety of the travelling public and aircrew."

Man charged with explosives offences in Belfast He added: "The government and our operational partners are treating these incidents with the utmost seriousness." Mr Farnham said police investigations are ongoing and "every available avenue is being pursued" to identify those responsible.

He continued: "We are also working closely with UK authorities and specialist agencies to explore additional operational support, enhanced detection capability and counter-drone technology. "People should be under no illusion about the seriousness of these actions.

"Operating a drone close to an airport is not a prank or a harmless hobby. It puts public safety at risk, disrupts critical transport infrastructure and can have significant consequences for hundreds of travellers and businesses.

"To those responsible, the message is clear: if you are identified, you should expect to face the full consequences of the law." Mr Farnham reassured members of the public that Jersey Airport remains safe and that "lessons from these incidents will be acted upon swiftly".

He added: "Our airport is a vital lifeline for the Island. We will not tolerate behaviour that jeopardises its safe operation or undermines public confidence in our transport infrastructure." Anyone with information about people operating drones around the island on Saturday evening, or who may have witnessed drones land or take off, has been asked to contact States of Jersey Police.