FIREFIGHTERS in Surrey have appealed for drone pilots to stop calling 999 to report their drones stuck in trees.

The warning follows a spike in emergency calls in the days after Christmas, which the fire service said are delaying “genuine” 999 calls being processed.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service posted on Twitter: “Please be aware that the fire service will not attend drones in trees. You would need to pay for a specialist to attend to retrieve these devices.”

Around a million and a half consumer drones were sold in the UK over Christmas, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).