A West London council is preparing to use drones to bolster its enforcement teams as local authorities across the country quietly build aerial surveillance fleets.

A report by Hammersmith and Fulham council sets out plans to deploy drones to support its 70-strong “law enforcement team”, which issued more than 2,200 fines in 2024. The aircraft will be used to target “anti-social behaviour and fly tipping”, even though the borough sits in a “dangerous zone” because of Heathrow air traffic and includes a flight restriction area due to Wormwood Scrubs Prison.

The report says police “do not have sufficient officer numbers to provide a visible deterrent in all cases or take the desired action”, adding that council drones and CCTV systems – some equipped with live AI facial recognition –

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