Man arrested after aircraft report being targeted by laser

Several aircraft flying from local airports and airfields, including Bristol Airport and RNAS Yeovilton, are said to have been targeted.

Officers were sent to Martock on Sunday evening after a laser was shone into the cockpit of a commercial plane descending towards Bristol. 

They then saw a laser being aimed at another plane from a Martock address and arrested the man, who has since been released under investigation.

Laser pens, which can be bought online or in shops, can dazzle or distract pilots and other vehicle operators.

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson said: “Officers investigating reports of a laser being shone at aircraft have arrested a 51-year-old man.

“Pilots operating out of airfields including Bristol Airport and RNAS Yeovilton have recently reported being targeted by a laser while flying over the Martock area of Somerset.

“On Sunday evening (August 14), a laser was shone into the cockpit of a commercial airline flying into Bristol prompting officers to deploy to Martock to see if they could identify the offender.

“They soon witnessed a separate incident of a laser being directed at a plane from an address in the village and arrested a man on suspicion of shining/ directing a laser beam towards an aircraft.

“He has since been released under investigation and enquiries are ongoing.”

People who target transport operators with laser devices could be jailed for up to five years or face unlimited fines.