'Flying saucer' police spy camera takes to the skies

Evening Standard | May 21, 2007

It looks more like the latest in saucepan technology than the future of crime fighting.

But police are confident that this miniature remote- controlled helicopter will be an invaluable weapon in the war against wrongdoers.

The Microdrone, measuring only 2ft between the tips of its eight rotor blades, was originally designed for military reconnaissance.

When it takes to the skies above Liverpool this summer, it will be the first time such a device has been put to civilian use in this country.

With four stubby arms carrying the rotors, a miniature camera and a pair of landing skids, the near-silent drone is designed to hover above crime scenes and send footage to officers on the ground.

It can take off and fly in all weathers and has a maximum speed of 15mph.

The 'spy drone' was originally used for military reconnaissance

Planned targets will be everything from youths riding motorbikes in a park to clashes between rival football fans and armed sieges where it might be unsafe for officers to come too close.

Merseyside Police hope it will fulfil many of the roles of their existing manned helicopter at much lower cost while supporting their mobile CCTV vans on routine patrols.

The cost varies depending on the level of equipment - options include thermal imaging cameras to enable night-time filming and a loudspeaker so officers can shout instructions to those on the ground - but ranges from £10,000 to £15,000 per drone.

Battery-powered and with a range of more than 500 yards, the mini-helicopter can be flown by an officer on the ground wearing goggles which enable him to see what the camera is filming, or it can be put on autopilot and follow a programmed route.

With its military background, police are confident it will prove yob-proof, and even if someone is skilful enough to take a successful pot-shot it can still limp home with half its rotors disabled.

The good news is that so far there are no plans to fit it with speed cameras.

The drone was unveiled the day after Hampshire Deputy Chief Constable Ian Readhead said the sheer number of CCTV cameras operating today was creating an "Orwellian" society.

But officers in Liverpool say that while they accept some people have concerns, surveillance cameras have the public's support.

"People clamour for the feeling of safety which cameras give," said Assistant Chief Constable Simon Byrne.

"Our drone will be used primarily to support our anti-social taskforce in gathering all-important evidence to put offenders before the courts.

"Other uses may include monitoring public disorder, crowd control during large- scale events, and dealing with traffic congestion.

"We're also looking at its potential during firearm operations.

"For us, this is a cost-effective way of helping to catch criminals which supports similar technology we're already using in our CCTV vans and helicopter."

The drones are imported from Germany by Stoke-on-Trent-based MW Power.

Business development manager Alistair Fox said:

"We believe they are ideal for police use -they can be up in the air in just three minutes, they are relatively easy to fly, and they can provide high-quality images back to officers on the ground.

"They don't need clearance from the Civil Aviation Authority because as they weigh less than 7kg they are officially classified as toys."

If the three-month, Home Office supported trial is considered a success, Merseyside hopes to buy more Microdrones, and other forces could follow suit.