Pilots in laser pen licence call

PILOTS have called for super-strong laser pens to be properly licensed after serious concerns were raised about incidents where pilots were briefly blinded by the gadgets.

Aviation bosses say they want the lasers, which breach UK safety limits on the strength of laser pens by as much as 200 times yet can cost as little as £10, to be treated in the same way as firearms following a close-call incident where passengers' safety was threatened.

Last month the pilot of an easyJet flight into Edinburgh Airport was dazzled for more than ten seconds when someone flashed a green laser pen.