Police responding to thousands of laser pen incidents

Derbyshire police responded to 292 incidents involving laser pens last year Credit: PA

Police in the Midlands are being forced to respond to hundreds of laser pen incidents resulting in calls for them to be classed as offensive weapons

Since 2014 there have been almost 6,500 police reports nationally involving laser pens, including shining them into aeroplane cockpits, at oncoming traffic and into people's front rooms.

Derbyshire police responded to 292 incidents involving laser pens last year - the seventh highest rate in the country. Staffordshire police responded to 213 incidents, the tenth highest in the country.

The national figures also show that officers are responding to more than 400 cases of aircraft being targeted as well as dozens of emergency service helicopters.

In response, a pilot's union has warned the consequences could soon bedisastrous and called for a change in the legislation to class them as offensive weapons.

In February a Virgin Atlantic flight to New York JFK was forced to return toHeathrow as a "precautionary measure" after a laser was shone at the cockpit.

The Civil Aviation Authority said they received 882 reported incidents ofplanes being targeted with lasers in the first three-quarters of 2015 and atotal of 1,440 in 2014.

Top 10 total incidents:

  • Greater Manchester Police - 1039

  • Northumbria Police - 566

  • Sussex Police - 561

  • Kent Police - 438

  • South Wales Police - 388

  • South Yorkshire Police - 349

  • Derbyshire Police - 292

  • Cheshire Police - 284

  • Hertfordshire Constabulary - 265

  • Staffordshire Police - 213