Brighton: Sussex Police to use surveillance drone

Sussex Police unveiled the new high tech surveillance devices at the start of freshers week and will begin by trying to ensure clubbers have a "safe night out" in Brighton.

Officers hope the 3.5kg flying technology will expand on the city's extensive CCTV network to identify trouble in places officers typically would not see.

Freshers events are taking place across the city as students return to universities (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

During an event outside The Arch nightclub on Brighton beach on Monday evening, Superintendent Adele Tucknott was joined by specialist drone officers to launch the unique scheme.

She told The Argus: "We will be using it to monitor and protect vulnerable people, keep them safe in the night time economy and catch perpetrators.

"It offers us a wider visibility than officers on foot, and is just another tool in our toolbox to make sure people have a safe night out.

"It is primarily a deterrent but it can also be an evidence gathering tool. If we can make arrests as a result of the drone, that would be great."

Officers watching a live video feed from the drone (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

Each drone can fetch up to £9,978 from Chinese manufacturer DJI and carries a range of cameras and sensors onboard, including thermal cameras, infrared, night vision, and even a megaphone to speak to revellers and beachgoers from the sky.

It will work alongside police officers on the ground to cover all angles of the busy seafront not only during Freshers' week but on busy evenings throughout the year.

Once in the sky, the drone becomes almost silent (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

Superintendent Tucknott also works as the force's lead on violence against women and girls. Freshers' week was chosen to launch the state-of-the-art drone as "there is a big influx of people into the city that might not know the area".

She added: "We know that there the new students are going to be coming down to the beach to enjoy the nightlife and we just want to be able to give extra visibility to keep them safe."

Katy Bourne watches officers flying the drone (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

The Home Office's safer streets fund was used to make this possible, Sussex Police and Crime Comissioner Katy Bourne said.

She said: "The drone can cover a vast area of land really quickly, and can go to places that might be inaccesible to officers. It's a great piece of kit and will definitely keep people safe.

"Money has also been given to taxi marshals, beach patrols and extra police patrols along with the drone."

The view from the controller (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

Some £120m has been used through the fund already across a range of projects to tackle violence against women and girls and make streets safer.

It will primarily be used in the sky above Brighton beach, patrolling over the numerous pubs and clubs in the area - along with ensuring partygoers are safe at the water's edge - somewhere which is typically hard to see from ground level.

Psychology student Polly Smith, 19, said: "I think that the rise in sexual violence and spiking in clubs is getting so high that the police need to do what they need to do."

Officers controlling the drone have done special training courses and are constantly tested on their abilities.