Police use drones at Birmingham City clash with Aston Villa

<p><strong>A drone has taken to the skies around a city football ground to catch hooligans and identify flashpoints at a derby clash between rival clubs.</strong></p> <p><strong>Its video camera captured high-definition images of the streets around Birmingham City&#39;s ground for the game against Aston Villa&nbsp;earlier.</strong></p> <p><strong>It was the first time West Midlands Police had used a drone to police a football match.</strong></p> <p><strong>Aviation rules meant the device could not fly over the St Andrew&#39;s stadium.</strong></p> <p>Public safety</p> <p>It was also prohibited from getting too close to residential properties.</p> <p>From heights of up to 400ft, officers inspected areas in which there had been flashpoints in the past and looked for new ones.</p> <p>Police said it formed part of a visible force presence&quot; to &quot;maintain public safety&quot;.</p> <p><img alt="Drone in flight" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/5D11/production/_92152832_drone4.jpg" /></p> <p>The match marked the first time the second city rivals had met in a league game for five years and followed Villa&#39;s relegation to The Championship.</p> <p>A West Midlands Police spokesman said the wider policing operation was &quot;substantial&quot; and included &quot;Section 60&quot; stop-and-search measures to &quot;tackle risk groups who are determined&quot; to cause &quot;serious violence&quot;.</p> <p>Officers arrested 14 people during the afternoon, on suspicion of a range of offences including violent disorder, pitch encroachment and affray, but the force did not say how many were related to the searches and drone operation.</p> <p>It said it would review camera footage &quot;to take action against those involved in crime who haven&#39;t been arrested today&quot;.</p> <p>Pub bombings</p> <p>Fans and the managers of each side were united in applause in the game&#39;s 21st minute.</p> <p>The gesture supported the successful campaign to have the inquests reopened into the deaths of 21 people killed in the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings.</p> <p>Julie Hambleton, whose sister Maxine was among the victims, said it was a &quot;fantastic way&quot; for fans to show &quot;solidarity for their own&quot;.</p>