‘England’s prettiest village’ compared to North Korea as drones snoop on homes

Castle Combe in the Cotswolds is often hailed as one of Britain’s most idyllic villages, but residents say they are being terrorised by drones flying over their homes

The tranquil residents of Castle Combe, often dubbed England’s ‘most beautiful’ village, claim they’re being plagued by drones buzzing over their homes, likening the experience to living in North Korea.

Nestled in the Cotswolds, Castle Combe is a magnet for tourists worldwide, drawn by its quaint cottages and charming winding streets. However, a recent trend among some visitors has left locals feeling under surveillance and fearing for their safety.

An escalating number of day-trippers are reportedly bringing drones to capture bird’s-eye views of the Wiltshire village for social media, causing friction with villagers and even resulting in the police being called on several occasions.

Local resident Hilary Baker told MailOnline: “You feel like you’re being spied on, like you’re living in North Korea.”

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This comes amidst a surge in reports of other intrusive behaviours from tourists. Hilary mentioned instances of visitors using suction-cups to stick their phones to cottage windows for selfies, reports the Mirror.

In other instances, pesky tourists have been accused of peering through windows, using drones to spy on villagers in their baths, and even peeking through letterboxes for a nosy gander inside.

In response, some villagers have resorted to displaying ‘no drones’ signs in their windows, though it’s unclear if this has curbed the trend.

Villager Draven McConville has become the local drone buster, stepping in more than once to ask folks to ground their gadgets, including one bloke who had the nerve to launch one right from his own driveway.

He’s had a fair few “reasonable conversations” with drone enthusiasts who’ve then packed away their tech, but some have given him a mouthful of “verbal abuse for no real reason”, he spilled to the BBC.

The village has even slapped up a sign in the car park, pleading with visitors to keep their drones at least 50 metres away from homes.

Castle Combe is often bigged up as one of Blighty’s most picturesque spots, and its old-world allure has made it a hot favourite for film sets, featuring in smash hits like Stardust, The Wolf Man, and Steven Spielberg’s War Horse.

Its quaint weavers’ cottages, built from the local Cotswold stone, have stood the test of time, thanks to some pretty strict rules on building work.

You won’t spot any modern eyesores like satellite dishes or wires hanging off these houses – that’s a big no-no. And don’t even think about going wild with massive extensions or fancy garden sheds.

This little gem, which got a shout-out in the Domesday Book way back in 1086, made its name with ‘Castlecombe’ cloth, a snazzy red and white fabric that was all the rage down south.