South Yorkshire's police helicopter suffers laser attacks

The police helicopter used in South Yorkshire has suffered nearly 100 laser attacks over the last year.
South Yorkshire's police helicopter has suffered laser attacksSouth Yorkshire's police helicopter has suffered laser attacks
South Yorkshire's police helicopter has suffered laser attacks

The helicopter, which is based at Wakefield and covers Yorkshire, has suffered more laser attacks than any other police aircraft in the country.

Lasers can dazzle and distract pilots and cause eye damage.

Mr Fahd Quhill, ophthalmic consultant at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, said he has seen a steep rise in laser-related eye injuries in the city, where people have suffered permanant eye damage.

“They’re no longer going to be able to read, they’re going to have difficulty recognising faces and they will need visual aids in order to help them to read,” he said.