Police in Inverness have launched an investigation after a laser beam was shone at a plane as it was about to land.
The pilot reported that a bright light was being directed into the cockpit as the aircraft approached Inverness Airport last week.
Police today branded the incident “extremely dangerous and reckless” and appealed to the public for information to help trace the culprit.
A spokesman for the Highlands & Islands division said: “We are investigating reports of a laser beam being directed at the cockpit of an aircraft as it approached Inverness Airport on the morning of Thursday 25th January, about 0305 hours.
“If you have any information that could assist enquiries, we would strongly encourage you to contact us quoting incident reference 0311 of 25/01/2024.
“Directing a laser towards aircraft can temporarily blind pilots, and is an extremely dangerous and reckless act.
“If you see any suspicious activity on or around the airport, speak to airport staff or contact the police.”
Previous laser pointer incidents at Inverness Airport
In the past, police and the airline industry have warned about the dangers of targeting aircraft with laser pointers.
In a previous incident, a Loganair pilot was briefly dazzled coming in to land when a laser pointer was directed into the aircraft.
On that occasion, in 2016, the light was thought to have originated from the Holm Mills area of the city.
Since 2018, anyone caught targeting aircraft, road vehicles or boats with a laser beam faces up to five years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both.
The Laser Misuse (Vehicles) Act also made it an offence to point a laser at air traffic controllers.