World Cup To Use Drones To Help Protect Stadiums

Man-to-man marking will be paired with drone v drone security at this winter's Fifa World Cup in Qatar.

Unmanned aerial vehicles that shoot nets to bring down small "rogue" drones will help defend venues.

Fortem Technologies will provide the interceptor drones, following an agreement with Qatar's interior ministry.

It says the agreement reflects growing fears about the threat potential drone attacks pose in general.

Fortem says its system is a safe way to bring down drones in built-up locations, reducing the risks of injury that might be caused if weapons were used..

The autonomous, radar-guided interceptor drones - dubbed DroneHunters by the firm - tackle small consumer drones by firing nets tThe autonomous, radar-guided interceptor drones - dubbed DroneHunters by the firm - tackle small consumer drones by firing nets to snare the target drone which may then be carried to another location.

Targets are identified using a "series of very small radars that are distributed throughout the venue, creating a complete picture of the airspace straight up into the air", Fortem chief executive and co-founder Timothy Bean told the BBC.

The company claims the drones have had "live kills" at various security sites around the world.

But the roar of fans will not be accompanied by the buzz of drones because the machines do their work "a mile or so away from the venue", Mr Bean added.