Police use drones at market to check respect for coronavirus measures

Police in Anderlecht have begun using drones to supervise the crowds at the Sunday market at the Abattoir for any breaches of the coronavirus rules.

The market, which is 25 acres, has a number of visitors limited to 3,200 - but there are only 14 police officers on duty.

Anderlecht mayor Fabrice Cumps said it was not possible for a force that size to monitor such a space and crowd - which is why they decided to use two drones "to get a better overview of the situation".

If a drone detects a situation in which physical distancing and mask-wearing are not being observed, the police can zoom in and identify the person or group in question and then send an officer in the field to intervene.

The drones belong to the Brussels region, but Brussels Prevention and Safety is making them available to Anderlecht. After this next week, the effectiveness of the programme will be evaluated.