‘Drones set for take-off’

a town councillor in Mirfield who has more than 800 hours’ flying experience, said he expected to see a big rise in the number of drones in the sky after Christmas.

But he added that users would be expected to self-regulate how they flew their machines until restrictions were introduced. Even then it would be difficult for use to be effectively policed, he said.

“If they are to licence it they need to think about rolling it out to become affordable,” he said.

“Training for commercial users, including pre-flight assessments, permission to fly and insurance, can cost more than £2,000. It’s not cheap. I’d imagine the average owner would carry on flying regardless.

“You will never stop this sort of activity.”

Clr Benson has been flying drones non-commercially for more than six years and owns a DJI Inspire 1, worth around £2,000. He has used his machine to check weir damage on the River Calder and has worked in collaboration with the Environment Agency, Kirklees Council, and the Canal & River Trust.

Last year he used a drone to capture aerial footage of land around Balderstone Fields off Hepworth Lane in Mirfield, which is earmarked for housing development. The footage was edited into a 27-minute video as part of a local campaign against the proposals.

Drones can be bought for as little as £50. Some weigh as little as 3lb but others can be as heavy as 30lb. Battery life means most can fly for between 20 and 26 minutes with a speed between 32mph and 67mph.

In July drone enthusiast Conrad Williams, of Bradley, caused a stir at the John Smith’s Stadium when he buzzed his device over a friendly match between Huddersfield Town and Liverpool, causing the referee to halt the game over concerns for the safety of fans and players.

He was arrested and prosecuted for flying a small unmanned surveillance aircraft not in accordance with permission issued by the Civil Aviation Authority.

He was given a 12-month conditional discharge but ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.