Construction companies are leading the way in the adoption of drone technology, with 17% of construction firms having used drone technology.

An estimated half a million UK business use the technology for commercial purposes, which has contributed to a soar in profits.

DronesDirect.co.uk, one of the UK’s leading drones e-tailers, conducted a study of 3,045 UK adults which showed that 586,430 Britons have used drones for commercial purposes. The study was published in the UK Drone Usage Report 2016.

The construction industry is leading the way in adopting this type of technology, using drones to monitor projects and scope out work.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being used in more and more commercial situations, including product delivery, landscape surveying and filming.

Leading the uptake of their use is the media industry, with 63% of companies using the technology, most commonly for taking aerial photography or videography.

Coming in second place for commercial drone usage were facilities management firms (39%), with Mitie recently unveiling plans to use drones for accessing problems such as pest control in high rise buildings.

Oil and utilities firms are driving the uptake of commercial drones, with 34% of firms such as Shell and BP currently using UAVs to inspect off-shore pipelines and oil rigs.

The agricultural industry has also been quick to use the remote flying technology in their processes, with 18% of firms using them to assess crop growth and to distribute pesticides and fertilisers.

The UK police and fire services have also used drone technology in their rescue operations as UAVs can offer alternative angles from which to access and observe crime scenes, while they can also be used to access the safety of hazardous sites.

Surveillance (32%) is amongst the most common commercial uses of drones, following photography. More than one in five (21%) is using a drone for security purposes in the workplace.