Drone maker will stop smugglers and accidents by stopping them flying over national borders and Washington

Drones have crash landed while carrying meth and being flown over the White House compound in recent weeks

People could face prosecution for flying drones dangerously (PA)

Drone maker DJI is to release an update for its drone that will stop them from being flown in Washington, across national borders or near to airports. The update is an attempt to stop drones from being used for dangerous or illegal purposes.

The update seems to be a response to a flurry of stories involving the remote-controlled flying machines putting others in danger in recent weeks.

It adds a No Fly Zone that includes dangerous areas that the drones will be automatically kept from flying over.

The Washington ban may have been trigged by the White House being sent into lockdown after a drone was flown into the complex. It emerged later that it seemed to have been flown by a government employee who accidentally sent it over the fence.

The Washington ban applies within 25 miles of downtown Washington DC.

The ban on crossing national borders will help crack down on a worrying trend of using the drones to send drugs and other contraband over the border between Mexico and the US. Last week a meth-laden drone crash landed near the border in what experts said was a demonstration of the a worrying trend of trying to use the drones to carry illegal shipments.

The ban on flying the drones too near airports will stop a problem of great concern for regulators. Authorities such as the British civil aviation regulator say that drone pilots are increasingly getting close to passenger air traffic, and that a crash could cause serious damage.

The ban on flying near major airports affects 10,000 airports and new ones are being added, the company said.

The company makes the Phantom range of drones, one of the most popular models in use. The update will apply to the Phantom 2, the Phantom 2 Vision and the Phantom 2 Vision+.