COUNCILLORS have welcomed plans to deploy a new police drone squad to track down North East criminals.

Northumbria Police is set to begin using eight new “eyes in the sky” in the coming weeks.

Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness reported on Tuesday (October 24) that the airborne devices will be available for use 24/7 and will be used for pre-planned policing operations, including at football matches, as well as being deployed to “spontaneous” incidents.

She told members of a Police and Crime Panel at Gateshead Civic Centre that three officers were now fully trained to pilot the drones and that more will be trained next month – with the drones due to be launched in November. 

Ms McGuinness said: “It’s important to me that Northumbria Police keep adapting and finding new ways to fight crime, and I think the use of drones is a key sign of this in action. 

“This is just a small start, but it means we will have the ability to use technology to support officers and take on criminals. 

“These eyes in the sky will make a real difference in everything from catching criminals to improving safety at events, with intelligence-led policing at its heart. We’ve seen in other forces their use grow and I think that will become a feature of policing here as well.

“We wanted to have these in place sooner but as ever there are processes to be followed and the force has had to make sure it has training, licensing and relevant certifications in place. Of course, these drones need to be safe to use so there will be restrictions on how the force can deploy them, but I hope the public will see the difference they make in the coming months.”

One use for the drones which councillors have been keen to push is in following nuisance off-road bikes tormenting communities around the region.

Newcastle Lib Dem councillor Peter Lovatt recently labelled the bikes “dementors tormenting the innocent” and said on Tuesday that having drones to follow them was an “excellent idea”.

Gordon Stewart, a Conservative councillor in Prudhoe, told Tuesday’s panel that he was “delighted” with the initiative, while North Tyneside Labour representative Tommy Mulvenna recalled a “mad” incident in Backworth where one rider left their bike on fire after it crashed into a bridge. 

The force does not currently engage in chases with anti-social and illegal bikes due to the dangers of doing so – to the riders, officers and the passing public – and has previously partnered with the British Transport Police to utilise a drone in locating them.

Vanessa Jardine, chief constable of Northumbria Police, said earlier this month that the use of drones was a “huge opportunity”.