LONDON — A UK police force is set to launch the country’s first 24-hour drone unit after completing successful trials of the technology. <br /> <br />Devon and Cornwall Police said on its official Facebook page that drones can capture footage in hard to reach areas such as woodland to find a missing person. <br /> <br />Among several other uses for the drones, police believe they can help pursue suspects and record images at the scene of road traffic accidents. <br /> <br />According to London’s Metropolitan police force, the cost of operating a police helicopter is £850 per flying hour. Drones could help the police cut costs because the devices cost as little as £1,000 pounds each. The only operating cost is recharging the battery. <br /> <br />As many as 21 British police forces are reportedly experimenting with drones. The devices have been used by police to watch over the Duchess of Cambridge on a royal visit and to chase a lynx that escaped from a zoo.
