Hackney police first in London to use drone to search for missing person in Clapton

Hackney police were the first to use the Met’s futuristic new drone in their search for a missing person in Clapton last night.

The camera device is being borrowed from Surrey Police for a London-wide trial that started on Monday and runs until November.

Cops can deploy the drone from midday until midnight to hunt for missing people or deal with reports concerning “threats to life”, disorder and gun crime.

It is used in situations where the police helicopter is unavailable and is much quieter than the chopper – though officers said it won’t be replacing it completely.

A Hackney police spokesman told the Gazette: “We were the first to meet the criteria for our missing person case. They weren’t found but it was very positive and able to clear a large open area a lot quicker than it would take multiple officers walking through on foot.

“It’s not used for surveillance, it’s for time sensitive incidents where a helicopter would be deployed if available.”