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Cotswold villagers say drones are an invasion

Kayleigh Barker & Dan O'Brien
BBC News, Wiltshire
BBC A white laminated piece of paper reads 'no drone zone, please respect the residents'. In the middle of the paper is a black drone graphic with a red cross in a circle over the top. The sign has been pinned to a wooden post outside a house.BBC
Signs have been put up in hope it will discourage visitors from flying drones

Residents in a Cotswold village said they're fed up with tourists invading their privacy whilst flying drones, with one man being filmed in his bath.

Castle Combe in Wiltshire is home to just under 400 people but for generations has been visited by tens of thousands of visitors every year.

Often referred to as one of the "prettiest villages in England", the area is known for its chocolate box cottages, timeless charm and picture-perfect backdrops.

But Fred Winup, chairman of the Castle Combe Parish Council, said drones are a never-ending battle.

"Somebody was sitting in his bath, looked out the window and there's a drone filming him," he said.

"I've sat in my garden and there's been a drone flying 10ft (3 metres) above my head.

"Villagers don't like drones flying over their gardens and looking in their windows," he added.

Honey coloured cottages line a windy street. It is an overcast but sunny day. There is a small bridge where a river flows beneath. There are weeds and a small tree in the river on the right. Looking further into the village there is a hedge which lines the outside of a garden where there are many trees. The skyline is also full of trees on the hills behind the village.
Castle Combe is often referred to as the UK's prettiest village

While it is legal for drones to be flown in Castle Combe as long as the rules set out by the UK Civil Aviation Authority are followed, Mr Winup said the majority of the time these rules are being ignored.

"There are three things that people are quite frequently breaking. They're flying too close to buildings, too close to people and they can't see the line of sight for the drone," he said.

He said over the last few years, villagers have begun propping up 'no drone' signs in their windows in hope it will discourage tourists.

A local resident stands wearing a blue fleece. He has short ginger hair and a large beard. Behind him is an old bridge being worked on by a council employee wearing orange reflective clothing. The bridge is surrounded by trees and bushes. To the left of the bridge is a footpath.
Draven McConville said villagers feel they have no private spaces anymore

Draven McConville, who lives in the village, said villagers feel they have no private spaces anymore.

"It does get busy here so we feel that our only spaces are our back gardens so when a drone encroaches in that area, it feels like an invasion of our privacy," he said.

"I've had someone stand right on my driveway flying one. Obviously you can hear it. I've gone out and spoken to them and had reasonable conversations.

"However there have been occasions that have resulted in verbal abuse for no real reason," he added.

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