A DRONE was used by police to search for the victim of a traffic accident in Evesham as part of a sixth month trial.
The unmanned drones will be used to take aerial photos of traffic collisions and help to give police a better view of land they are searching.
During the first week of tests, West Mercia Police used the device to support officers searching for a victim involved in a crash who went missing from his vehicle. The drone was used to search the surrounding area to help find the man who later called officers to confirm he was safe and well.
A decision will be made once the trial on whether or not to use the drones on a permanent basis.
Inspector Damian Sowrey, who is overseeing the trial, said: “During the trial drones will be used in two ways – they may be deployed to an incident as a resource to assist or they may be used in a pre-planned operation for example to help manage public safety at an event.
“During the first week of the trial despite challenging wet and windy weather conditions, the drone has helped us gather evidence by taking aerial photographs of road traffic collisions and also assisted officers search an area by providing an aerial view that can be viewed from the ground.
“Whilst there are a lot of benefits to the use of drones, we are keen to reassure the public that public safety is of paramount importance at all times. “Policies and procedures have been put in place to ensure that air operations using these small drones are carried out safely, ethically and in accordance with relevant CAA regulations.”
