Laser shone at police helicopter

A man has been arrested on suspicion of endangering the safety of aircraft after a laser was shone at a police helicopter flying over Berkshire.

The Thames Valley Police helicopter was above Reading when a green laser beam was shone at it from the Oxford Road area at about 2200 BST last Friday.

Officers in the aircraft guided colleagues on the ground to a suspect, using cameras on board, the force said.

A 32-year-old man was arrested and released on bail until 27 October.

Sgt Kev Robinson, from Thames Valley Police, said: "Shining a laser at an aircraft is extremely dangerous.

"The front windscreen has thousands of tiny scratches on its surface, which diffract the laser beam in every direction.

"Essentially, the laser beam lights up the whole of the windscreen in a bright glow, which can potentially blind the pilot."