Police in Derbyshire, UK have released drone video footage of the moment they caught a suspect wanted for possession of drugs with the intent for resale.

Twenty-five year-old Thomas Stones from Matlock was sentenced to 28 months, after being found in possession of heroin and cocaine. Yesterday, the Derbyshire Constabulary Drone Unit publicly released a drone video that showed Stones jumping off the first floor window of his home along Chesterfield Road in Matlock, as he tried to flee police officers who called on his house with a warrant for his arrest.

After escaping through the window, the drug dealer then scales a number of backyard fences, with the drone trained on him from high above; before running into a bush cul-de-sac where — with nowhere to run — he had to give himself up to police who were swarming from all sides.

Stones’ accomplice, Ricky Dunne (24), was also caught at a different location, and sentenced to three years for the same crime as Stones.

The Derbyshire Constabulary Drone Unit was formed in 2018 with an initial staff complement of five drone pilots, but it was expanded to a 24/7 unit last year; increasing the number of pilots to 28, with police officers trained to have this extra skill set alongside their primary role.

The force had 16 drones in 2019, based in Buxton, Chesterfield, Cotton Lane in Derby, at the roads policing unit (RPU) and the collision investigation.