Anyone buying a drone will soon have to pass a safety test under a new Government crackdown.
The blitz announced today will also ban drones from flying near airports, require larger gadgets to be officially registered and tighten up rules on flying them too high.
Police will be given new powers to ground drones flown by rogue operators and seize them for evidence.
The move comes after The Mail on Sunday highlighted the security threat posed by the gadgets, and after a series of potentially catastrophic near-misses with aircraft.
Anyone buying a drone will soon have to pass a safety test under a new Government crackdown (file photo)
Drones are set to be one of the hottest-selling gifts again this Christmas, but Ministers have raised safety and privacy concerns as their cost comes down and their use becomes more widespread.
Aviation Minister Baroness Sugg said: ‘We have to take steps to stop illegal use of these devices and address safety and privacy concerns.’
However, she also announced moves to develop drone technology to deliver parcels, survey buildings and even transport organs.
Lady Sugg added: ‘Drones have great potential and we want to do everything possible to harness the benefits of this technology as it develops.
‘These new laws strike a balance, to allow the vast majority of drone users to continue flying safely and responsibly, while also paving the way for drone technology to revolutionise businesses and public services.’
Currently drones must be kept in the line of sight of the operator, normally taken to be within 550 yards horizontally and 400ft vertically, and not flown within 164ft (50m) of people or buildings.
However, there are no specific rules for airports for all but the largest of drones.
But there have been several dangerous near-misses between drones and aircraft, including one gadget that flew ‘within a wingspan’ of a passenger jet approaching Heathrow, and another that was spotted by horrified airline pilots at 10,000ft.
Though expected to be one of the most popular Christmas presents of the year, drones have a darker use. In May, two men who used this drone to fly drugs into prisons were jailed
The concerns are to be addressed in a Drone Bill, to be published in the spring, which will make it mandatory for devices weighing more than 250g (8.8oz) to be registered ‘to improve accountability’.
The Government will also encourage manufacturers to introduce ‘geo-fencing’ technology to prevent drones flying in restricted areas.
At least 120 of the remote-controlled devices have been caught trying to deliver contraband into prisons over the past two years while elsewhere pilots have been fined for flying their drones over a nuclear submarine facility and crowds at a theme park.
Under the new legislation, police will be given the power to order drone pilots to ground their devices and seize key parts.
A drone, operated by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue and equipped with thermal imaging systems, is used to find prison protester Stuart Horner amongst the rooftops of HMP Manchester
The Mail on Sunday revealed in 2015 that senior officers wanted to be able to confiscate drones and to inspect any pictures stored on them.
Assistant Chief Constable Serena Kennedy, national police lead for drones, said: ‘If you use a drone to invade people’s privacy or engage in disruptive behaviour, you could face serious criminal charges.’
Meanwhile a Government-funded initiative will see drone technology trialled in five cities – and will be inviting bids to take part.