It will now work with the Government and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to develop better safety regulations and improve drone technology.

Current regulations do not permit drone operators to lose line of sight of their device or operate over densely populated areas unless they have CAA permission.

Technology to overcome these restrictions will be explored in the new programme, which will also test sensor performance to help drones detect and avoid obstacles.

Paul Misener, Amazon's vice president of global innovation policy and communications said: "The UK is a leader in enabling drone innovation - we've been investing in Prime Air research and development here for quite some time.

"This announcement strengthens our partnership with the UK and brings Amazon closer to our goal of using drones to safely deliver parcels in 30 minutes to customers in the UK and elsewhere around the world.

"Using small drones for the delivery of parcels will improve customer experience, create new jobs in a rapidly-growing industry, and pioneer new sustainable delivery methods to meet future demand," Mr Misener added.