Merseyside police test surveillance drone

Story link: Merseyside police test surveillance drone by Jan Harris

Merseyside Police have tested an airborne surveillance drone fitted with a closed-circuit TV camera which resembles a miniature helicopter.

The drone, which can be used to track criminals and record anti-social behaviour, can be operated by officers using a remote control and can record images from a height of 1,500 feet.

The images are available instantly and can be transmitted to a vehicle or control room. The drone is fitted with a night vision camera and can be deployed to the air in less than three minutes.

The device measures three feet wide and weighs less than 2 1/2 pounds. It was manufactured by German company Microdrones.

Merseyside police are to take delivery of the drone in June and will start a three-month trial of the device.