UK NEWS

POLICE LAUNCH SPY IN THE SKY TO TACKLE YOBS

PC Derek Charlton of Merseyside Police operates their new aerial surveillance drone in Liverpool

Tuesday May 22,2007

By Tom Whitehead, Home Affairs Correspondent

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(0)

BRITAIN’S first police “spy drone” took to the skies yesterday, sparking fresh fears over the growth of a surveillance society.

The crewless, remote-control helicopter is fitted with CCTV cameras and will be used to track crooks and record yobs involved in anti-social behaviour.

The trial comes a week after Police Minister Tony McNulty admitted he was considering using spy planes above all our towns and cities to tackle crime and terrorism.

Ian Readhead, the Deputy Chief Constable of Hampshire, this week warned that the increased use of CCTV is turning Britain into an “Orwellian society”.

But senior officers on Merseyside, who are giving the drone a trial, insisted that it is not the next phase of a Big Brother society. Assistant Chief Constable Simon Byrne said: “Obviously there is a point of view that has been expressed but our feedback from the public is that anything we can do to fight crime is a good thing.

the higher the level of intrusion the higher the level of authority needed within the police force to use it

“There are safeguards in place legally covering the use of CCTV, and the higher the level of intrusion the higher the level of authority needed within the police force to use it.”

The drone is only a metre wide, weighs less than a bag of sugar, and can film from a height of 500m.

It was originally used for military reconnaissance but is being trialled by police for three months, initially for monitoring public disorder, large crowds and traffic jams.

The drone is almost silent, fitted with night vision cameras and can be deployed in less than three minutes.