Privacy fears as cheap drone sales soar

But now drones can be picked up for less than £50 posing the question: do people know how they should be using them?

Sales of UAVs – unmanned aerial vehicles – have exploded in the last two years.

Maplin, one of the biggest drone retailers in the country, sold more than 20,000 in 2015, double the amount they shifted in the previous 12 months.

While their priciest model at £2,900 is perhaps too lofty for most, the electronics specialist's top seller is a much more affordable RC EYE One S Quadcopter Drone which you can buy on its website for £59.99.

Whereas Amazon provide a whole range for less then £50, with some less than £20.

But the fact thousands of people are now taking to the skies with their new gadgets, some with cameras mounted, has inevitably resulted in problems.

Staffordshire Police has seen a sharp rise in drone-related calls over Christmas.

The force confirmed calls shot up from eight incidents in November to 20 in December while there were eight further incidents in the first two weeks of January alone.

Although they stated not all calls were in relation to complaints about them being flown incorrectly and some incidents included thefts and even vehicle damage.

One man that has reported concerns to police is Burntwood resident Alan Crane who said he has had persistent problems this month with one such drone buzzing at a height lower than the top of his house.

The 64-year-old of Springhill Road, said: "It has been flying over the property, the gardens, flying over the road, flying over the lawn.

"It is the absolute indignant intrusion of privacy that annoys me.

"For what purpose is someone flying over your property and what are they taking photographs of?"

The Civil Aviation Authority's 'Dronecode' advises that operators should be able to see the machines at all times and they should not be flown above 400 ft. While UAVs with cameras fitted should not be flown within 50 metres of people, vehicles or buildings and structures, or over congested areas and gatherings such as concerts and sports events.

Staffordshire Police spokeswoman Faye Casey reassured that residents who had privacy fears that officers are well aware of the guidelines around using drones in order to provide advice to people using them illegally.

The force has its own drone which it uses for Royal Visits, wildlife operations, firearms training and helping locate vulnerable missing people.