LONDON >> Prosecutors say a British police helicopter crew filmed people having sex and sunbathing naked.

The police are accused of using the aircraft’s powerful video camera to film members of the public.

Prosecutor Richard Wright said today the filming was a “gross violation” of the victims’ privacy. He said the public has a right to hope that police helicopters are being used to keep communities safe, not to film sex acts from the air.

The case against five men in Sheffield Crown Court relies in part on a graphic, eight-minute film consisting of footage from the South Yorkshire Police helicopter.

One police officer, 50-year-old Adrian Pogmore, has pleaded guilty to misconduct. Four other men deny the charges.

Prosecutors say the couple filmed having sex were friends of Pogmore.