Yorkshire revealed as national hotspot for dangerous laser attacks on police helicopters

Yorkshire has the worst record in the country for laser attacks on police aircraft, an investigation has revealed.
By The Newsroom
Published 12th Sep 2016, 01:00 BST
Updated 15th Sep 2016, 16:24 BST
An image of a laser pen.An image of a laser pen.
An image of a laser pen.

A new BBC Inside Out programme is due to reveal that nearly 100 cases of laser attacks on the National Police Air Service (NPAS) were recorded in West Yorkshire in the past year – equating to 20 per cent of all such laser strikes.

Programme makers visited the national police helicopter base at Carr Gate, near Wakefield, to find that every single one of the NPAS pilots based at the centre has come under attack from lasers.

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Laser strikes can cause a blinding light to flood the cockpit, dazzling the pilot to an extent that can lead to serious long-term eye damage or potentially catastrophic crashes.

It is thought that 24,000 laser devices were imported into the country last year, while some sold online that are advertised as legal are up to 50-times stronger than stated.

Mr Fahd Quhill, ophthalmic consultant at Sheffield Royal Hallamshire Hospital, also reported a steep rise in laser-related eye injuries.

Speaking of some of the more serious cases, he said: “They’re no longer going to be able to read, they’re going to have difficulty recognising faces and they will need visual aids in order to help them to read.”

Inside Out Yorkshire & Lincolnshire will broadcast on BBC One tonight at 7.30pm.

Related topics:West YorkshireBBCWakefieldLincolnshireBBC One