It’s a cold, wet day in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, but instead of running for cover I need to keep perfectly still – as there’s an angry-looking drone hovering just inches from my face.
Fortunately, its handler is not a hobbyist – or a kid out to annoy passers-by with their latest gadget. It’s former police detective sergeant Brian Roberts.
‘Don’t wave your hand as you could lose a finger,’ warns Brian, as he uses his experience spanning over a decade to control the drone, which whirrs like a quiet fan rather than the annoying mosquito-like buzz you hear from toy versions.
If it was hovering above your home, you might spot it, but you’d be unlikely to hear it. And that is now a very real possibility.
Brian is hired by councils up and down the country to take pictures or video recordings of homes from the sky to check if residents are breaking rules or could be squeezed for higher council tax payments or other costs.
Brian, who runs The Drone Detective agency, is in hot demand. Growing numbers of councils rely on remote-controlled cameras to snoop on our homes.
Spies in the sky: Growing numbers of councils use remote-controlled cameras to snoop on our homes to see if they can hike our tax bills
Swarms of them are being unleashed into our skies – more than 60 councils have already applied for a licence or are training staff to use them to police homes from above, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Councils currently using drones include those in Berkshire, Bristol, Buckinghamshire, Cambridge, County Durham, Essex, Leicestershire, London, Merseyside, Norfolk, Tyne and Wear, West Midlands and West Yorkshire.
They are set to become popular in future to help assess the so-called mansion tax announced by Rachel Reeves in the Budget last month.
Homes in council tax bands of F, G and H in England are to be revalued in 2026 by the Valuation Office Agency.
Those worth more than £2million will be hit with an extra mansion tax of between £2,500 to £7,500 a year from 2028. Images taken by drones from above could be one of the ploys used for revaluations.
The CAA is also changing its drone code from January 1 so heavier drones weighing up to 2kg – as often used by police and local authorities – can be flown in urban areas.
Local authorities, including Northamptonshire and in London, call on Brian’s services. Although he flies it in front of my face to show how precisely the drone can be manoeuvred, normally it is soaring up to 400ft above.
‘These are strong reliable drones with three separate cameras that can zoom in up to 25 times magnification,’ he says.
In some cases, he is tasked with finding evidence of criminal activity – such as fly-tipping or drug-dealing.
But in others he is looking for signs that residents are underpaying or have not sought required permissions, for example planning permission to build an extension or the right to sublet their property.
Brian says homeowners have nothing to fear from Big Brother peering over their garden fence – ‘just as long as they have nothing to hide’, he adds. But not everyone is convinced.
Jake Hurtford, of action group Big Brother Watch, says: ‘These drones have a use – such as for monitoring floods, land survey and spotting fly-tippers. But the technology should not be allowed to create spies in the sky.
‘We are already one of the most spied on countries in the world – with cameras monitoring us on the roads. Do we really need flying cameras now as well?’
What are they looking for?
Mansion tax checks could be next. The highest-value homes in England will be revalued to work out what they are worth today – and whether they will attract the new mansion tax.
Local authorities are expected to trawl through websites such as Zoopla and Rightmove to look at the potential value of homes in the top council tax bands.
A drone could help not only verify findings but also look out for home renovations and potential improvements since the initial valuation, which may push up their price.
Councils might also study websites such as Google Earth to verify details of properties they are looking at.
How forensic the councils are with their revaluations and whether drones are used will vary widely.
Councils have yet to reveal their drone plans – with the mansion tax initiative only announced a fortnight ago.
But the Valuation Office Agency has already admitted ‘modern technology’ using aerial images would be used.
Eye spy: In demand drone pilot Brian Roberts (left) shows reporter Toby Walne his £2,600 DJI Mavic Pro drone
Brian points to shed extensions at the bottom of a garden – explaining this is where his drone can take a close look and document with photographs, just in case one has been turned into a home extension, a fully equipped gym or shed-office that would boost the property value above the £2million threshold.
Councils will also be on the lookout for granny annexes built without planning permission – as these can be treated as separate dwellings and attract separate council tax to further fill the coffers of local authorities.
He believes identifying garages that have been converted into living spaces will be a key area where a drone could be invaluable.
They could be used to spot developments without planning permission – which would attract higher council tax if the work is retrospectively approved – and confirm property value calculations that total more than £2 million.
He says: ‘Telltale signs are breeze blocks put up in front of where the garage door should be and air conditioning units installed on the side of walls.’
Brian adds that he never peeks inside windows but only surveys the outside of buildings when studying properties.
A Bird’s-eye view of crime
A recent job for a local authority involved uncovering subletting fraud. Brian used his drone – a £2,600 DJI Mavic Pro – to take photos of people coming out of houses to prove that they were living there without permission.
A council used this evidence at a magistrates court in Stratford, east London, that led to a successful conviction.
He says: ‘I cannot share the tricks of the trade – but it does not involve sitting in the back of an unmarked van all day with a flask of coffee.
‘You can pick times when tenants are leaving for work and the job is done in minutes.
‘It need not be a covert operation – as acting secretly can actually raise suspicion. People might look up and see the drone – as I can at all times – but they won’t necessarily see me.’
He adds: ‘If criminal activity is suspected on council-owned premises, such as drug-dealing, within ten minutes I make a full survey of all exit points and where cars might be parked, to pass details on to the council and police for raids.’
Brian has a bird’s-eye view from above of potential criminal activity that he has used for councils, churches and the National Trust to stop thieves stealing lead.
He says: ‘I surveyed the Guildhall, used by Northampton town hall, a couple of years ago, looking at how to make it harder for criminals to climb the roof and rip off lead.
‘There are measures, such as anti-theft dyes and markings that can be made. I use a drone to check these are still clearly visible – and to decide where signs should be installed to ward off thieves.’
Crime watch: Councils such as Leicestershire and Sunderland are adopting drones to spot illegal fly-tipping
What they can and can’t be used for
Brian says that while you may own the land on which your property is built, you don’t own the air above it.
‘There is nothing wrong with someone flying a drone over your property as long as they are not invading your privacy,’ he adds.
‘This means filming for perfectly legitimate reasons is totally fine. But taking photos of someone sunbathing in a garden is not.’
Councils cannot spy on you in the garden, through a window or eavesdrop on a private conversation as this would breach data protection rules.
The CAA points out that under the General Data Protection Regulation any data collected from a drone must be used ‘fairly, lawfully and transparently’, and only for ‘specified, explicit purposes’ – such as for council tax valuations – and ‘in a way that is adequate, relevant and limited to only what is necessary’.
If you are concerned private information is compromised, contact your local council and make a free Subject Access Request – this allows you to see what details are being held about you.
Councils for Bradford, Newcastle, Norfolk and Stockton-on-Tees are already using drones to monitor property developments to ensure they comply with planning regulations, while those in
Leicestershire and Sunderland are also adopting drones to spot illegal fly-tipping. Professionals such as Brian can use cameras at any time of the day or night – although they are not authorised to use night vision technology.
Drones used at night must be identifiable with constant red lights at the front and flashing green lights at the rear.
Brian says homeowners who are concerned should be able to spot a professional employed by the council as they often wear a fluorescent jacket and have ID on them showing they have full accreditation.
Brian says: ‘But one thing you should be wary of is that disturbing a pilot when the drone is in flight can be a criminal offence.
‘Wait until they have landed the drone. We must keep an eye on the drone at all times when possible, and to be in full control you want no distractions.’
What soon becomes clear is that such surveillance is best left to experts such as Brian, who with his police background offer a professional reassuring demeanour that is a far cry from the council jobsworth – where there is a fear ‘spy in the sky’ power may go to their head.
A CAA spokesman says: ‘Drone regulations are changing to make them easier to understand and allow the safe expansion of drones in the UK.
Some 21 local authorities have active drone operation authorisation from us.
‘But this does not include any local authorities who sub-contract their drone operations out to third-party operators – and does not give a complete picture of the number of councils using drones and potential future use.’
toby.walne@dailymail.co.uk