A man has been jailed after shining a laser as a police helicopter during the search for a missing person. 

Man jailed for preventing police search due to shining laser at helicopter

The laser targeted the helicopter while it was on an emergency last December - credit East of England Air Ambulance

The helicopter was on an emergency flight in Norfolk when it was targeted by the laser in the early hours of the day after Boxing Day.

Warning issued after air ambulance pilot targeted by laser

It's the second time the county's air ambulance has been attacked by a laser, which is a criminal offence.

Melvin Joyce admitted endangering the aircraft’s safety during an incident earlier this year.

The Bell 429 helicopter was landing near Chippenham when it was targeted by the bright green light 

A search and rescue operation by the Whitstable Lifeboat was hampered after a laser pen was shone at the lifeboat. 

Some laser pens sold for less than £20 online could cause permanent sight loss, the Australian study found.

Pilots reporting lasers being shone at aircraft while flying occurred more than three times a day on average last year, new figures show.

It took Jonny Marshall a quarter of a second to burn his eye when he shone the laser in it to check if it was working. 

The co-pilot was hospitalised and has not returned to work after the laser attack on a BA plane coming into land.