Cotswold villagers say drones are an invasion
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.
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"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.
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.
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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