Drones will soon be used by police in high-risk operations and burglary investigations.
More than a quarter of the 43 police forces in England and Wales are considering introducing the remote-controlled devices as an alternative to helicopters, police dogs and even officers in some cases, The Times reported last ngiht.
The move, which will see drones used during protests, sieges, burglary investigations and in missing persons searches, follows a pilot scheme carried out by forces in Sussex and Surrey.
Steve Barry, the Association of Chief Police Officers' lead on drones, said the trial by the two forces showed that drones 'can be efficient and effective' when used for policing.
Drones will soon be used by police in high-risk operations and burglary investigations. The move, which will see drones used during protests, sieges, burglary investigations and in missing persons searches, follows a pilot scheme carried out by forces in Sussex and Surrey
He told The Times: 'If someone breaks into your shed and then makes off, and there are dozens of back sheds he might be hiding in...drones could be the perfect solution. They would be quicker than dogs.'
National guidelines for the use of drones have been issued following the pilot scheme, which included using a drone with a camera to patrol the perimeter of Gatwick airport for suspicious activity.
The forces in Sussex and Surrey received a £250,000 grant from the Police Innovation Fund to buy five SkyRanger drones for use in missing persons searches and at accident scenes.
Mr Barry, assistant chief constable at Sussex Police, said drones could be used in a variety of policing situations, such as sieges when officers find it difficult to get close to the scene.
'You could send up the drone and use the videolink before making a decision how to proceed,' he said.
Mr Barry said detailed guidelines on how to use the drones had been produced for forces to deal with potential privacy issues.
More than a quarter of the 43 police forces in England and Wales are considering introducing the remote-controlled devices as an alternative to helicopters, police dogs and even officers in some cases (stock photograph)
'The message to officers is that you have to be clear about the purpose and legitimacy of deploying the drone,' he added.
'Low-level crime would not justify a drone being deployed over back gardens of people's houses.'
Recently there have been increasing reports of drone crime, including using the devices to take photographs of people in private and smuggling illicit items into prisons.
Between May 2014 and March last year, the Civil Aviation Authority recorded seven incidents in which drones almost crashed into passenger jets or other piloted craft.
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