This £30,000 spy-in-the-sky micro helicopter was today unveiled as the new weapon in the fight against robbers in Wolverhampton.

Police will fly the remote-controlled video drone over city streets to track suspects and gather vital evidence. Officers dispatched to the scene of a mugging will be able to deploy the device within minutes.

The chopper, which has a 500-metre range and weighs less than a kilo, will beam a a live video feed to ground officers and can scan a vast area in less time than an officer on foot. It is part of Operation Skywatch, which will see the robot rented out to city officers to monitor areas including Bilston and Whitmore Reans.

High visibility foot patrols will be mounted along with covert work under the month-long crackdown.

The gadget, which can take still or moving images, was sent into action at this year’s V Festival at Weston Park to scan for car thieves and drug dealers.

Wednesfield detectives were given a demonstration of the technology at Bentley Bridge retail park yesterday.

Officers say future uses could include scouring large areas for missing people or mini-moto riders in parks.

They believe it could end up saving the force money by reducing the number of times the force’s £4 million helicopter is scrambled.

Det Con Mark Rushton, of Wednesfield police, said the chopper would look for suspects in the minutes after a robbery. “We can then direct dog units or off-road bikes to the area,” he said. “Robbers aren’t safe anywhere if they’re coming into Wolverhampton. We’re doing everything we can to prevent people from becoming victims.”

CID officers will also be on the streets warning people of the dangers of having iPods and mobile phones on show.