A member of the Special Constabulary Drone Team has helped detain a suspect following an incident near Tonbridge.
On the evening of Friday 29 March 2024, police were called to a suspected drink or drug driver near the village of Penshurst.
The man had been seen in a vehicle which had been involved in a collision on the B2027. He was approached by two members of the public, one of whom he reportedly assaulted before leaving the scene on foot.
Officers attended, including a member of the Special Constabulary Drone Team, and a police dog handler.
The drone managed to trace a heat signal of a person on the edge of a nearby field and Police Dog Ciara and her handler were sent to the area.
A 43-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of driving whilst unfit, assault and failing to stop at the scene of an accident. He has since been bailed while enquiries into the incident continue.
Kent Police first introduced the use of a drone in June 2017 and has since expanded its fleet to 11. They regularly assist officers searching for suspects, helping find vulnerable people, getting aerial images of large crime scenes and tracing stolen vehicles and property.
