Police are still investigating the downing of a model spy plane, an act suspected to have been carried out by hunters, but the lightweight aircraft is still missing.

The jablo radio-controlled plane weighing around half a kilogramme and equipped with a high resolution camera belonged to a German-based anti-hunting group that was using it to flush out illegal hunting activity on private land.

It was blasted out of the sky on Thursday in the vicinity of Żonqor Point in Marsascala and according to police sources the plane has still not been found.

The €2,000-camera plane had been hit a first time a day earlier but the damage was minimal and could be repaired. The second time round, the plane dropped out of the sky.

Hunters have described the spying action as “a cheap and despicable publicity stunt”.

But the Committee Against Bird Slaughter, CABS, said the plane revealed various illegal trapping sites that would have otherwise been difficult to find.

Information obtained by the spying activity was passed on to the police, who took the necessary action.