Spy Planes Over Haringey

Haringey Council in North London , have used a spy plane to photograph residents wasting energy. It is the first local authority in the UK to compile a heat map which can pinpoint how much energy is escaping from each property.

Speaking to thisislondon.co.uk Councillor Isidoros Diakides, Labour's executive member for housing, said: "This single study will play a key role in helping us address three of the biggest issues currently facing Haringey - climate change, fuel poverty and housing waiting lists."

But the move was criticised by Justin Hinchcliffe, of Haringey Conservatives.He said: "Given that the council cannot even keep the streets clean, we're amazed that they've launched this project.

The mapping took place at night in winter when buildings were heated and the cold air allowed high quality data from an altitude of 1,500 to 2,000 feet.The plane flew 17 runs back and forth across the borough and the results are published online in a Heat Loss Map.

The Council rejected any suggestion of an invasion of peoples privacy by saying that their spy plane was: "less intrusive than Google Earth".

The council believes the map will encourage residents to better insulate their homes and identify homes in need of energy-saving grants.