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ESSEX Police could team up with their counterparts in Kent to buy a spy plane traditionally used by the military to track terrorists, it has been revealed.

The county's police authority has set aside £19,000 this year to look in detail at funding an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which could be used to track car thieves, muggers and illegal immigrants from the skies.

The equipment will also be used to film hostage sieges and firearms incidents, and send the live footage to armed officers on the ground helping police to plan their next move.

The Essex force has been working with the Kent constabulary and defence company BAE systems to make the UAVs part of their weaponry in the fight against crime.

So far the BAE spy drones have been used by British soldiers in Afghanistan to track the Taleban and co-ordinating bombing raids.

BAE's work with Kent and Essex police forms part of the company's wider plan to generate £300million a year by working on civilian security contracts.

Alison Woods, BAE's strategy director, said: "We have the kit and we have the skills that are relevant to the security sector and our intention is to build on that."

Police in Merseyside and Strathclyde are already using the remote-controlled spy planes to monitor crime scenes and carry out surveillance.

Donna Veasey, spokesman for Essex Police, said:"Police forces have a number of means at their disposal to investigate crime and are constantly looking at new technology to increase their capacity to combat crime."

4:11am Friday 9th May 2008

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