Laser shone at helicopter halts coastguard search

Blackpool RNLI volunteers were paged on Friday night to reports of someone in the sea

A search for a person in the sea was called off after a laser was shone at the rescue helicopter.

Blackpool RNLI volunteers were paged to assist HM Coastguard and Lancashire Police after someone was seen entering the sea close to Manchester Square, Blackpool, just after 23:00 BST on Friday.

But arriving on scene, the helicopter crew were "targeted by a laser attack from land" and were forced to stand down for 40 minutes while Blackpool Police and ground coastguard patrols investigated, the RNLI said.

Steve Fitzgerald, Blackpool RNLI chair, said "it beggars belief" that anyone would "target a rescue helicopter to prevent them doing their life-saving task".

Such actions were a criminal offence, the RNLI said, and "in this case, it severely disrupts the search and rescue operation".

'Real danger to crew'

The Blackpool RNLI volunteer crews continued their search but nobody was found and they were stood down at 02:45, with additional crews from Lytham St Annes RNLI volunteers stood down at 04:15.

Blackpool Police was still investigating the missing person report and the laser attack on the helicopter, the RNLI said.

Mr Fitzgerald said: "This was a lengthy and protracted search based on the information supplied, and the deployment of Rescue 936 helicopter was deemed essential to support our lifeboat crews.

"It beggars belief that anyone would want target a search and rescue helicopter to prevent them doing their lifesaving task, whilst also being a very real danger to the flying crew."