How drones can be used can be used safely while delivering the greatest economic boost to the country is being investigated by the government.

The Department for Transport is launching a new inquiry into non-military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and how they can be developed and regulated in the UK.

Drones have the potential to deliver massive economic benefits, with operators regularly finding new ways to use them in business.

A recent report by consultancy PwC said the widening uses for UAVs was likely to create an addressable global market worth $127bn.

PwC’s experts said that fast-growing areas where drones are being utilised include surveying, where their cameras and sensors get a bird’s eye view that provides an “unparalleled level of very practical data, which is indisputable digital evidence”.