Charges have been laid after a police drone was used to locate three theft suspects in Tilbury.

The Chatham-Kent Police Service said officers responded to a call about suspicious activity in the area of Oak Road at around midnight on Monday, after someone spotted a vehicle and three people with flashlights.

Authorities arrived and located a U-Haul loaded with property, however, no suspects could be found in the area.

Officers deployed a police drone which helped to locate three suspects hiding near a retaining pond.

A 26-year-old Blenheim woman and two men from Tilbury, aged 58 and 33, were arrested and are now charged with trespassing at night, theft, and possession of stolen property under $5,000.

All three have since been released from custody with a future court date.