Drones to spy on motorists

Unmanned military-style spy drones are to be used to monitor antisocial motorists under police plans.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s) similar to those used to assist reconnaissance and airstrikes in Afghanistan could be in use by the 2012 Olympics.

A Home Office-backed partnership led by Kent Police aims to use them for “monitoring antisocial driving” as well as fly-tippers and protesters, according to a report in The Guardian.

A prototype equipped with high-powered cameras will begin test flights later this year, the paper says.

The scheme is a pilot for country-wide use of the technology for “surveillance, monitoring and evidence gathering,” documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal.

UAV’s can fly for 15 hours and reach altitudes of 20,000 feet, making them invisible from the ground.