Lasers pointed at planes Liverpool Airport

3 January 2013, 05:00

In 2011, 66 pilots reported Lasers being shone into their eyes whilst flying off or in to Liverpool's John Lennon Airport.

Heart News has been told by the Civil Aviation Authority that in 2012 there were 45 reports by pilots having the potential blinding lights distract them during take off or landing up until the end of November at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, with an end of year figure of 50 expect.

It is a crime to shine lasers at pilots with the potential for them to be blinded by the lights.

Robin Tudor from Liverpool John Lennon Airport has been telling Heart that although there is a decrease, it is still a problem:  "Particularly if an aircraft is taking off or landing a pilot has to concerntrait on the job at hand, so to have any distraction can be a danger.

"If we are notified by a pilot we immediately inform the police and they immediately investigate.

"There have been some high profile cases where individuals have been caught and sentenced because this is now a criminal offence."