U.K. police are dealing with a "significant increase" in drone-related incidents, according to The Guardian.
Data provided to the newspaper through a Freedom of Information request shows a major uptick in "the number of cases where members of the public have reported nuisance drone flying to their local force." The U.K.'s Metropolitan Police Service, for instance, logged 21 such incidents this year, up from just one in 2014, while Thames Valley Police have already recorded 80 incidents in 2015, up from 20 last year.
"The incidents logged by Scotland Yard in the past 24 months range from concerns about the piloting of drones over packed crowds at a Christmas event in Hyde Park to the devices being used to ferry drugs into prison or to commit sexual offences," the report notes.
In one case, a drone was caught "hovering outside" the 72nd floor of a skyscraper in London. In another case, a caller expressed concern that someone was using a drone to spy in their bathroom window. Concerned citizens have also reported the use of drones with cameras attached near children and cash machines.
In the U.K., it's illegal to fly a drone within 150 meters of a congested area and within 50 meters of a person, vehicle, or structure not under your control, according to the report.
Meanwhile, drones are increasingly causing problems here in the U.S. as well. According to a report from Wired, the U.S. Forest Service has recorded 13 incidents so far this year where drones have interfered with firefighting aircraft. A bill introduced last week by New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, would make it illegal to fly drones that "interfere with fighting fires affecting federal property" or "responding to disasters affecting interstate or foreign commerce."
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is in the midst of crafting rules that would allow for commercial drone flights. Whatever they come up with, however, will likely still ban drone flights near airports. In fact, the agency is testing a system that would identify the pilots of drones flying within five miles of airports.