THE police have played down suggestions that people can start “knocking out” drones from the sky if they are flying over their home.

Cllr John Thorne, speaking at Wellington Town Council’s monthly meeting on Monday (October 6), said he had seen reports on social media about drones being used locally by potential criminals to “scope” out properties to burgle.

It is nothing new – police around the country have said in recent years that drones have been used to survey residential areas and look for suitable homes and businesses to target.

And Sgt Jon O’Connor, of Wellington Police, said that he too had seen similar reports on social media in reference to Cllr Thorne’s comment.

Cllr Thorne asked: “Can people start knocking drones out of the sky if they are seen over their homes?”

Sgt O’Connor said: “I wouldn’t encourage that as I don’t think the owners of the drones would be particularly happy if people started damaging their expensive bits of equipment.”

The discussion came during Sgt O’Connor’s monthly briefing to councillors about policing matters in the Wellington area.

“We continue to receive reports of suspicious persons and vehicles appearing to be “scoping” properties and buildings in rural locations surrounding Taunton, Wellington and over the Devon border,” he said.

“I would urge people to report any sightings in a timely manner with registration numbers and any CCTV footage so we can build an intelligence picture and accurately target offenders before they have a chance to commit crime at a later date.”

If anyone has any questions or enquiries they wish to make with local officers, the enquiry office at Wellington Police Station is open from 10am to 2pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Officers can be contacted via the Avon and Somerset Police website or by calling 101.