Drone owners under fire

The issue of inconsiderate drone use has come to a head following a couple of cases that have been brought to our attention.

This picture, taken by a reader, shows a drone allegedly being flown perilously close to a power line near Llanfyllin, with Graham Eaton saying: “If the lights in Llanfyllin go out we know why!”

Meanwhile, a row broke out in Guilsfield after residents complained that a drone had been hovering over their properties, complaining that it was intrusive. Some have claimed that it has been flown at night.

The law appears to be unclear with licensed drone owners saying that they can be flown providing pictures taken do not identify individuals, but angry residents in the village say it is simply wrong.

The laws governing drone use in urban areas are being tweaked all the time but it appears that, according to UK laws regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), consumer drones (classed as those that weigh under 20kg) must be flown no higher than 120 metres, and kept at least 50 metres away from people and private property, and 150m from “crowds and built up areas”.

There is also confusion as to who would be responsible for investigating allegations of misuse. When Mr Eaton complained to the police about the Llanfyllin incident, he was told to contact the CAA who in turn informed him to contact the police as there is a memo of understanding that local law enforcement takes the lead on dealing with drone misuse.