Police dog and drone help find missing man in Maidstone

Drone technology helped Kent Police officers locate 16 missing people, 58 suspected criminals and 22 stolen vehicles and other property in the last calendar year.

Specially trained drone pilots were deployed to more than 1,100 calls including collisions, public order incidents, search warrants and more in 2025, which is an increase from 999 in 2024 and the highest ever for the force.

One of the most recent successes came in the early hours of Saturday 20 December when a man in his 30s was reported missing near the Maidstone services, just off Junction 8 of the M20.

Crisis

He had experienced a mental health crisis and made his way into a heavily wooded area near the railway line, having removed his upper clothing in very cold weather.

Kent Police officers attended the area, where drone pilot PC Andy Green was able to identify a thermal image of a person in the woodland. He was then able to point dog handler PC Toni Vaughan and Police Dog Oscar in the right direction, where they found the man and were able to lead him to safety.

He spent several days in hospital but has since been discharged and is recovering well at home.

Video footage

Invaluable

Superintendent Nick Sparkes of Kent Police’s Tactical Operations department said:

‘The use of drones to improve our overall response to a variety of incidents has proven to be invaluable and can often make the difference in life or death situations. ‘Our highly trained pilots work seamlessly with dog handlers and other officers on the ground to provide a first class service to members of the public in their time of need, at a fraction of the cost of deploying a police helicopter to do a similar job. ‘They will continue to be an important resource for Kent Police, helping us to catch criminals, solve crime and protect everyone who visits and lives in Kent.’