The Charity Commission has reported an animal charity in the process of closing to the police after assessing concerns raised.
Drone to Home, registered in 2022, aims to reunite lost animals with their owners using flying devices.
It was referred to Nottinghamshire Police by the regulator after volunteers told the BBC that the charity was overstating its animal retrievals to drive sponsorships and donations.
Former volunteers of other animal charities told the BBC that Drone to Home had been using Facebook posts to falsely take credit for finding lost animals other organisations had found.
A commission spokesperson said: “After concerns were raised with us about Drone to Home, we opened a regulatory compliance case to assess these further and gather more information.
“In line with our policy on evidence of potential criminal activity, we reported our concerns to the police.”
Drone to Home announced its intention to close in November last year after the BBC sent its founder Phil James a right of reply letter outlining allegations against it.
The commission issued a notice of dissolution on 5 February 2026, meaning that after three months, it plans to de-register the charity.
The regulator’s spokesperson said that it would continue to engage with the charity on its closure, but said there was no further role for the regulator.
They added: “The commission’s role is not to investigate allegations of a criminal nature, that is a matter for the police and or other authorities.”
Trustee exodus
Drone to Home was founded by former Nottinghamshire Police officer James, who resigned as a trustee in October 2023.
In its latest published accounts for the year to April 2025, Drone to Home has four trustees but this number has since dwindled to one, shown in its commission listing.
It had the same number of trustees a year prior and five in the year to 30 April 2023.
In its 2024-25 accounts, the charity recorded that it received £157,000 in grants and donations.
Drone to Home’s website no longer contains details about the charity, but instead redirects to Sky Paws - Lost Dog Drone Search, which purportedly offers a similar service.
Since its foundation, the charity’s page garnered more than 154,000 Facebook followers, the BBC reported, but it has now been deactivated.
Nottinghamshire Police declined to comment.
The remaining trustee did not respond to a request for comment.
Civil Society has approached the Fundraising Regulator for a response.
