Laser pen attackers face prosecution under new law

At present it is an offence to shine lasers at pilots, with offenders facing fines of up to £2,500, but officers must prove a person endangered the aircraft when committing the offence. A change in legislation means in future police will only have to prove the offence, and will be extended to cover all forms of transport including planes, trains and taxis. A laser can result in temporary vision loss associated with flash blindness.