DRONES have been reported flying over prisons, schools, motorways and through flight paths during the past four years.

Figures revealed to the Warrington Guardian after a Freedom of Information request show Cheshire Police have been called to more than 150 incidents involving drones since the start of 2014.

They show the number of times the gadgets have been spotted over Risley or Thorn Cross prisons has doubled in the past year.

In 2016 police were called to seven reports of drones flying over Warrington prisons but figures show that number has already reached 14 so far for 2017.

A third of all drone incidents in Cheshire in 2017 have involved them being flown near jails.

In June, three men were charged on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class B drugs after a drone was allegedly spotted over HMP Risley and in October 2016 a man was jailed for attempting to smuggle class A drugs into the prison using an unmanned aircraft in a separate incident.

Officers have also been called to reports of drones flying above schools, playgrounds, the M6 and through the Manchester Airport flight path.

Legal regulations say people should not fly the aircrafts above 400ft but in March of this year a pilot reported a drone flying at 12,000ft to police.

A spokesperson for the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “Anyone operating a drone must do so responsibly and observe all relevant rules and regulations.

“It is totally unacceptable to fly drones close to airports or aircraft, for example, and anyone flouting the rules can face severe penalties including imprisonment.

“Our drone code provides advice on how to fly a drone safely and to follow the rules at all times. Drone users have to understand that the UK has one of the busiest areas of airspace in the world - a complex system that brings together all manner of aircraft including passenger aeroplanes, military jets, helicopters, gliders and light aircraft.”

In 2015 there were also reports to police of the aircraft flying over Warrington Town Hall and Warrington Hospital.

And there were a number of incidents of drones being flown over peoples' homes in the middle of the night, leading one resident to fear they were being watched.

In July the government announced plans for all drone pilots to be registered and sit safety awareness tests to encourage owners to act responsibly.

For more information visit dronesafe.uk.