Cop this, police drones fly first to crime scene

DRONES could be first on the scene of serious crimes to give officers vital information as they make their way there, police chiefs hope.

-  Jon Austin

DRONES could be first on the scene of serious crimes to give officers vital information as they make their way there, police chiefs hope.

Chief constables want to bring about a change in the law so police are able to have an eye in the sky away from the operator's line of sight, something which is illegal.

They could then be flown up to two miles away. 

A senior figure involved in the project said it is "inevitable" that if approved they would also be used for intelligence gathering and surveillance.

National Neil Sexton, the Police Chiefs' Council lead for drones, said "first responder drones" would be situated in boxes on the top of tall buildings so they could be quickly flown to the scenes of accidents, crimes, terror strikes or even hostage situations.

Incident room staff would fly the craft to provide real-time video, which could be described to officers so they have a clearer knowledge of the situation upon arrival.