INCIDENTS of lasers being shone into aircraft cockpits near Liverpool John Lennon Airport have tripled in the last 12 months.
The figures are revealed as a new law was introduced to specifically target the offence and catch those responsible.
The charge of “shining a light at an aircraft in flight so as to dazzle the pilot” will come into force to clamp down on offenders in hot-spot areas like Tarbock, Runcorn and Warrington.
In 2008, air traffic control in Speke reported 20 laser pen incidents, while last year, that figure had trebled to 60.
Previously, anyone caught shining a laser at an aircraft may have been charged with “recklessly endangering an aircraft”.
Captain Bob Jones, head of flight operations at the Civil Aviation Authority, said: “This new charge will strengthen the hand of law enforcement agencies in their efforts to tackle this problem.”
