Lasers pose 'threat to flight safety'

An increase in laser pen incidents led to a law change last year

There's been a huge increase in the number of cases of people shining laser pens at aircraft around the UK, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.

They say the lasers pose a serious threat to flight safety and greater controls may have to be considered.

There have already been a total of 761 recorded instances of lasers being shone at pilots so far this year, surpassing last year's total of 739 cases, and nearly four times as many as the whole of 2008.

Richard Taylor is from the CAA and said: "Numbers are rising every year. The problem is certainly not going away."

Green laser pens pose the most serious risk to pilots because the human eye is so much more sensitive to green light.

Their sale has been restricted in the UK since 1997, but they are available to buy online and cost anything from £20 to £500.

Richard Taylor added: "They will only become more powerful, there's no doubt about that.

"It's obviously a matter for the government to decide whether to reclassify them as offensive weapons and I think that could well happen at some time in the future."

Hotspots in the UK over the last 12 months include Manchester, Heathrow, Birmingham and Leeds Bradford.

Glasgow Airport is also on the list of high risk areas, and the CAA said there have already been 41 cases so far this year there, including one involving a Boeing 757 carrying 200 passengers as it came in to land.

Sales crackdown

Renfrewshire Council, which covers Glasgow airport, has led a crackdown on laser sales in shops nearby.

Ian Nicholson is from the council and said: "The bottom line is we will remove them if they're on sale but we expect cooperation from traders, because they should understand what the risk could be."

The growing number of cases led to a change in the law earlier this year.

Successful prosecutions

Previously anyone caught shining a laser at an aircraft could only have been charged with 'recklessly endangering an aircraft'.

Offenders can now be charged with 'shining a light at an aircraft in flight so as to dazzle the pilot,' which is expected to increase the number of convictions.

There have already been around a dozen successful prosecutions so far and police say they expect many more arrests to follow.

Inspector David Dick is in charge of the helicopter unit with Strathclyde Police and he says it's not just commercial airlines that are being targeted.

"It's a fairly big problem for us. I would say we encounter laser incidents once, maybe twice a month.

"Potentially it could be catastrophic. If you shine a light at an aircraft, you will arrested, charged and put before the courts."

Richard Taylor from the CAA had a similar message for anyone considering shining a laser pen at an aircraft.

He said: "You could be sent to prison, or you could get a fine of up to £2000.

"There are serious consequences when you are caught - you could end up in prison. Most people don't need to own one of these things, they have no practical use whatsoever."