New technology is being used to help save the city’s trees.

Brighton and Hove City Council’s arboriculture team has begun using a drone to help survey elm trees.

Operated by a licensed pilot throughout the summer, the drone is giving the team a bird's eye view of the trees to help spot signs of disease.

It also means the team can cover hard to reach areas or land that is not easily accessible, such as woodland or land near railway lines.

The council said it provides a cost-effective way of helping it manage any possible spread.

By removing infected trees more quickly, the council can prevent a wider outbreak.

Elms remain the dominant tree across the city despite the population being hit hard by elm disease in recent years, which has seen many removed to prevent further spread.

The disease is spread by elm bark beetles which live in the bark of trees and is carried through the trees’ root systems. 

READ MORE: Dozens of trees inoculated against deadly disease

The drone pilot can take pictures of the infected trees.

Pictures are deleted after four weeks and the drone is operated under strict data protection guidelines, the council said.

Peter Small, arboriculture manager, said: “The drone has been a great addition to the team and is helping us cover those hard-to-reach areas of the city.

“Elm disease symptoms start to show in early June with wilting, browning or yellowing of parts of the foliage. The drone means we can spot these symptoms from above and cover large areas in a shorter space of time.

'We have thousands of elms in Brighton and Hove, both council and privately owned. Spotting diseased trees earlier means we can act quickly to protect as many of them as we can.”

The council asks residents who suspect an elm tree is diseased to send an email to elmdisease@brighton-hove.gov.uk. Include a photograph of the tree, a close up of the symptoms and a location including street name, building, house number/name or park with approximate location.