More than half a million people in the UK have used drones for commercial purposes, from filming to surveying landscapes and even delivering products, according to new research.

A study by DronesDirect.co.uk, published in the The UK Drone Usage Report 2016, reveals that 586,430 Britons have used drones for commercial purposes.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being put to work in an increasing number of sectors including the media industry. About two-thirds of media workers questioned for the research said they had used a drone.

Drones are popular for their use in aerial photography and videography, particularly because if their ability to get spectacular shots cheaply.

Facilities management had the second most incidences of drone use, with oil and utilities companies in third place.

Facilities management company Mitie recently said it would use unmanned vehicles for pest control in high rise buildings, while oil giants Shell and BP use UAVs to inspect off-shore oil rigs and pipelines.

Drones are also being used widely in agriculture and construction, it found.

Among the most popular uses for the technology photography came top followed by surveillance and security.

Delivery is anticipated to be the largest area of growth for commercial drone usage ahead of the launch of Amazon’s Prime Air parcel delivery service, and plans by Royal Mail and DHL to do similar.

Tim Morley, category manager at DronesDirect.co.uk, said: “It’s great to see businesses incorporating drones into their day-to-day practices to not only make processes simpler and more efficient, but also offer new services.

“Drones are already being used around the world for deliveries of consumer products, providing humanitarian aid, and security…Britain can be at the forefront of the development for business and industry.”

The UK is a popular base for developing and testing commercial applications of UAVs. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) recently relaxed regulations affecting UK drone usage for commercial trials, in response to a request from Amazon to trial its Prime Air delivery service.