DRONE racing in Wiltshire is set to take off after the first ever event in the county took place at the M4 Karting Centre in Hullavington on Tuesday (Feb 2).

Ten pilots turned up to flaunt their flying skills as they controlled the multi-rotor drones around a specially designed track in a series of competitive heats.

Organiser Greg Spencer said: "I've been fascinated by drones for quite a long time and since the racing aspect was introduced I've become even more excited about it.

"The best place to fly drones is in the outdoors as there's more space, but the weather has been quite bad lately so we decided to host the first event in the Karting Centre.

"It's a great venue and the trial event was a very successful one; all of the pilots thought it was a fantastic location and a competitive event. oon last night's evidence I think we're going to have some very talented pilots hailing from Wiltshire."

Drones can be purchased for around £500 but most pilots decide to build their own models as it's a cheaper option and makes them easier to fix should they crash.

A front-facing camera is placed on the front of each drone before the race and the image relayed back to a pair of goggles, worn by the pilot, giving the effect of the pilot being inside the aircraft.

Mr Spencer added: "The image and goggles combined makes it a really immersive experience and ultimately a very exciting one.

"Flying these things is completely new. It's early days for drone racing in the UK but I think it could become extremely popular soon, like it is in America."

This was a just a trial event but with the hobby gradually increasing in popularity in the UK, and with large-scale races taking place in America, many are predicting that it could become a recognised sport by 2020.

Mr Spencer has started a Facebook group in which he shares details about upcoming events, which can be joined here.