HI-TECH remote controlled, flying mirco-drones, which will be leased out by a Newbury company, could change the face of policing and fire rescue across the country.
The flying eyes in the sky take remote aerial video and photographs. The drones are also fitted with infra-red sensors, night vision and x-ray, and can be used for anything from drugs busts, crowd control, human cargo control, building excavation and fire service rescues.
This week, Mark Douglas of Newbury-based Wolfen 2101 showed newburytoday what the drones are capable of during a demonstration at the Castle Pub in Donnington.
For optimum picture quality the machines are flown at 100m above the ground carrying a 10 mega pixel camera.
They are currently only available on a lease basis, with people wishing to use them, being severely vetted and security checked.
Mr Douglas's company, Wolfen 2101 is the partner company of MW Power which builds the machines. Wolfen 2101 is in charge of leasing them out and is currently looking for people to join the team.
Mr Douglas said: "Obviously there is an issue because these could be highly intrusive.
"The main business for the micro-drones will be with the Home Office, the military, the police and fire authorities.
"What people need to understand is that there are not going to be thousands of these flying around the skies."
Mr Douglas says the micro-drones are "invaluable pieces of equipment", though there are currently only 12 of them in the country.
So far only Merseyside police have leased one of the drones.

For full story see today's (Thursday) Newbury Weekly News.

For footage of the drones in action and to hear more from Mark Douglas click on the link above.