Laser threat to landing aircraft

A laser beam shone from a house in Maidenhead could have brought down a passenger jet landing at Heathrow, an aviation regulator has warned.

A member of the public raised the alarm after spotting a powerful green light in the sky on Monday evening.

Police attended a property in the Oldfield and Bray area and arrested a 15-year-old boy on suspicion of endangering an aircraft.

Richard Taylor, a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority, said the incident was 'potentially very dangerous'.

"The pilot needs to have maximum concentration and the last thing they need is to be blinded for several seconds by an intense light," he said.

"These lasers are becoming more powerful and there is a very real danger that the pilot could lose control in the most extreme cases."

The teenager has since been released without charge.

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