An amateur drone pilot got the shock of his life when a peregrine falcon, the fastest animal on the planet, swooped in and tried to attack his drone over the countryside.

Gavin Blakey, 40, from Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland, was flying his drone over a patch of open farmland near his home when the dramatic moment unfolded.

Bought just a couple of weeks earlier, Gavin was testing the controls of the drone, and got a shock when the falcon came within inches of the camera, making for some amazing footage.

Gavin said: “I was only out learning the controls a bit more as I had only had the drone a couple of weeks and it was a nice evening. I didn’t see the bird until the last moment when it came towards the drone. It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for me and I feel lucky to have captured the footage.”

Peregrine falcons are capable of reaching speeds over 200mph when diving to hunt, making them the fastest animals on the planet. They are typically found in more remote or coastal areas, so spotting one inland came as a complete surprise.