Crimes involving drones rocketed in 2015, it has emerged, with British police being called in to investigate potential pedophiles filming playgrounds, high-tech drug-runners trying to smuggle illicit substances into prisons, and even one occasion when a man was caught filming people at an ATM in Northern Ireland.

According to Freedom of Information requests submitted by the Independent, reports made to police concerning the illegal use of commercially available remote-controlled aircraft surged by 352 percent between 2014 and 2015, and are set to rise again as the public becomes more aware of their use—272 incidents were reported between January and May this year.

Perhaps the most enterprising use of a UAV was an incident that took place in Templepatrick, Northern Ireland, in June 2015. A man was arrested after allegedly using a drone to film a cashpoint as members of the public tapped in their PINs and withdrew money. A witness told police that the drone flew off when it was seen and crashed into a taxi; the suspect was eventually forced to pay compensation to the taxi driver, but officers were unable to prove that he had taken the footage with criminal intent.

True figures for drone crime could be much higher—according to The Independent's report, just 21 of the UK's 45 police forces responded to the newspaper's FoI requests.

Experts are calling for drones to be urgently regulated; the technology has matured to the extent that the public can buy vehicles that reach speeds of 70mph, and which can be fitted with 360-degree 4K cameras, while some even have night-vision capabilities. Seven reports were made to police concerning the filming of children, raising fears that drones could be used by pedophiles.

David Dunn, a UAV expert at Birmingham University, told the Independent that the UK's laws aren't designed to cope with a new technology like drones. He said:

What you have is a massive proliferation of easy access to the air from machines that have the capacity to cause nuisance, to carry out surveillance, to cause potential injury and to frighten people and cause collisions with cars and airplanes. There needs to be regulation and there needs to be systematic attempts to educate the public. At the moment, you can buy one of these things in a supermarket without any safeguards. We are lacking accountability or a deterrence. The police are being forced to use laws that were designed before the invention of drones fit in terms of personal safety and privacy, but actually what we need is a Drone Bill through the House of Commons to address the technological challenges.

The danger posed by modern drones to the rest of Britain's air traffic is of particular concern to regulators. Popular models can now reach altitudes of up to 10,000 feet, and many of the incidents reported to police seem to concern moments when pilots have been distracted by the sudden appearance of UAVs in their sightlines or flightpaths. Amazon recently agreed a deal with the UK government to test drones as a mass delivery method for online shoppers, with a view to shaping future legislation and safety measures.

UAVs have also been increasingly sighted around prisons. At HMP Leicester, one drone was caught in perimeter netting (which most prisons now have for this very reason) carrying mobile phones and legal highs, while Sherwood Prison has also found drugs in this way. Interceptions have been recorded at many correctional institutions around the country.