Here we have a senior police officer saying the unsayable truth, and a junta of government ministers calling it miscommunication.
Given the ministers' competence in other matters, I think I will go with the officer.
It is truly amazing that, after the first "sighting" and "chaos", when everyone within 10KM of Gatwick with a decent lens on a good camera [and every smartphone junky ] was looking for a scoop, there are no photos. Airports are often home to long lenses poking skywards.
The policeman may well be right.