A teenager was quizzed by police after the captain of an aircraft was attacked with the beam of a laser pen as he was landing the passenger jet at Liverpool.
The 16-year-old was arrested after the pilot of an easyJet airliner reported that he had been dazzled with the laser on his approach to John Lennon International Airport.
The Airbus A319 plane was on scheduled flight from Belfast and was landing at Liverpool at 6.10 last Friday when the incident happened.
A Merseyside Police spokesman said: "The pilot reported to air traffic control that a laser pen had been shone at the cockpit by someone on the ground.
"The force helicopter, which was already operating in the south Liverpool area, conducted a search of the area and as it was doing so, a laser pen was aimed at it from below.
"The crew relayed the information to police officers on the ground, who stopped a car in Speke at around 6.10pm and arrested a 16-year-old boy on suspicion of endangering both aircraft.
"He was interviewed by officers on suspicion of endangering an aircraft and was released on police bail pending further enquiries."
* Laser torches are capable of sending a piercing ray of light that can temporarily blind a victim and, in certain circumstances, can even cause permanent damage to the retina of the eye.
chris wild, gloucester around 3 months, 2 weeks ago