Local authorities in the UK have dramatically increased their use of drones, fueling fears that the government is monitoring or even snooping on people from above, according to reports.

Data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) show that more than 60 councils have hired staff certified to operate aerial drones, while at least a dozen other authorities are looking for guidance to launch similar programs.

Because the CAA only records pilots sponsored by their employers, experts in the UK have since warned the real number of publicly funded drone operators could be even higher.

NAVY SOLAR DRONE SOARS NONSTOP FOR 3 DAYS

UK watchdog group Big Brother Watch has accused local governments of drifting toward “spies in the sky” tactics that further erode civil liberties in a nation already covered by widespread CCTV monitoring.

Jake Hurfurt, head of research and investigations, cautioned that while drones can support legitimate tasks such as flood monitoring or land surveys, they must not become tools for unchecked surveillance.

“There may be a role for drones in helping councils monitor flooding or conduct land surveys, but local authorities must not use the technology as spies in the sky” he said.

“Britain is already one of the most surveilled countries on Earth. With CCTV cameras on street corners, we do not need flying cameras too. Councils must make sure that they do not use this technology for intrusive monitoring of their citizens.”

UFO-LIKE ‘DRONES’ TARGETED POLICE HELICOPTER OVER AIR BASE BEFORE VANISHING: REPORT

“Just because it’s possible, it does not mean it’s something they should do,” he added.

Previously, Hurfurt also criticized London’s Metropolitan Police’s use of drones as first responders, warning that the rollout is occurring without clear policies governing when, how or why drones can be deployed.

Without safeguards, he said, the technology risks becoming airborne CCTV or, worse, a way to monitor lawful protest activity.

“Without robust safeguards, there is a real risk of mission creep and drones becoming flying CCTV cameras or watching people lawfully protesting,” he said in a statement shared online.

PENTAGON EXPLORING COUNTER-DRONE SYSTEMS TO PREVENT INCURSIONS OVER NATIONAL SECURITY FACILITIES

“The Metropolitan Police must be transparent about its thresholds for using drones and take care to balance the rights of Londoners with the purported benefits of drone use,” he added.

Despite the concerns, Hammersmith and Fulham Council plans to integrate drones into its 70-member law enforcement team, which issued more than 2,200 fines last year.

The borough says drones will help in combating antisocial behavior, supplementing a lack of police manpower and work alongside CCTV equipped with live facial recognition.

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Sunderland currently operates the largest known council drone fleet, with 13 aircraft and multiple trained pilots.

Their drones are used to detect and prevent crime, enforce environmental rules and oversee public gatherings. 

Other councils, including North West Leicestershire, Stockton-on-Tees, Newcastle, North Norfolk and Thurrock are also said to be using drones for everything from planning enforcement to monitoring coastal disputes, according to GB News.

Threatening emails say ‘2020 election was rigged’, echoing Trump’s false claims about the vote.

The top Democrat in the United States Senate, Chuck Schumer, has said that three of his New York state offices were targeted with emailed bomb threats alleging the “2020 election was rigged”.

In a statement on social media, Schumer said that local law enforcement on Monday received bomb threats referencing his offices in Rochester, Binghamton and Long Island with the email subject line “MAGA”.

“Local and federal law enforcement responded immediately and are conducting full security sweeps,” Schumer said on X.

“Everyone is safe, and I am grateful for their quick and professional response to ensure these offices remain safe and secure for all New Yorkers.”

A law enforcement source confirmed to the Associated Press news agency that police in Suffolk County on Long Island responded to Schumer’s area office, but could not confirm the details of the threat. The person requested anonymity due to the ongoing investigation.

US Capitol Police declined to comment, saying it does not discuss member security for safety reasons.

Schumer condemned political violence, which has surged in recent years in the US, saying that “these kinds of violent threats have absolutely no place in our political system”.

“No one—no public servant, no staff member, no constituent, no citizen—should ever be targeted for simply doing their job,” he said in the statement.

US President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election to former President Joe Biden, but has falsely maintained since then that the vote was “rigged” or “stolen”. The claim, which is not backed by evidence, was a key message of Trump’s successful 2024 presidential run.

Courts across the country have dismissed or ruled against the Trump campaign and its allies in dozens of lawsuits. The 2020 election results were certified by election officials in all 50 states.

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani condemned the threats at a news conference during an event in support of Starbucks workers.

Although none of the threats impacted offices in New York City, Mamdani said that a country where political violence is the norm “is one that we should never accept”.

“That is incumbent on all of us to be fighting for that future across this country, no matter party,” Mamdani added.

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“There is a bit of a car bonanza in Norway at the moment,” OFV’s CEO Geir Inge Stokke told Reuters.

Fully electric vehicles accounted for 97.6% of all new cars sold in the Nordic nation last month, registrations show, in line with a long-held aspiration in Norway of ending the sale of petrol and diesel combustion engines in 2025.

($1 = 10.1630 Norwegian crowns)

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