Additional reporting by Jade Evans

Concerned parents fear a drone may have spied on their three daughters as they played in their back garden swimming pool.

Nicky and Ross Pullen of Preston Hill, Wingham were enjoying the summer weather with a barbecue when the camera hovered over their fence on bank holiday Monday.

Ross, 46, says he feared someone was spying as it only disappeared after he gave it the middle finger.

The stay-at-home-dad said: "The thing is we do not know if some paedophile was taking pictures of our three daughters while having fun in the garden and pool. If we saw someone looking over a fence, we could tell them to go away - it is not so easy with a drone."

Nicky, 43, added: "If there was some strange person standing staring into my house though a window I’d be concerned, but I could shut the curtains - with a drone I can’t!"

Drones have become an increasingly popular way to take aerial photos and became one of the most sought after gifts last Christmas.

Currently the law states that devises should not fly over congested areas and never fly within 50m of a person, vehicle or building not under their control. The government's website also states that users should "ensure any images obtained do not break privacy laws."

But Mrs Pullen whose children are seven, nine and 11 says there is little way of policing the cameras as the operators are usually some distance away and the drone was definitely below 50m as it swung into view. The warehouse worker said: "It was there for three or four minutes. It was right above our garden and was low enough to make out the shape of it," she said.

Both would like to see the law strengthened to protect family privacy.