A man accused of shining a laser beam at a police helicopter is wanted on a warrant.
54-year-old Alistair Fuge was due to appear at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (24 August) charged with an offence under the Laser Misuse (Vehicles) Act 2018.
However, the defendant, of Bristol Road in Allington, near Chippenham, failed to attend the hearing and magistrates’ issued a warrant for his arrest without bail.
He is accused of momentarily blinding three members of the National Police Air Service helicopter crew – including the pilot – as they circled fields between Corsham and Chippenham on 26 January this year.
The helicopter, which was repeatedly hit by the laser beam, was called in to assist in the search for a vulnerable missing person.
According to Wiltshire Police following the incident, the aircraft’s highly-trained crew were able to locate the exact address and the room of the property from which the light was coming.
In a statement, Superintendent Steve Cox said: “While on the surface it may appear to be a minor act of stupidity, the consequences of this behaviour could be catastrophic.
“The minute a laser light hits the screen of a helicopter, the laser is magnified, often momentarily blinding all those within the cockpit. It simply does not bear thinking about what could have happened.
“I’d also like to send a message to the public that when you see the police helicopter up above, they are often assisting our officers in searching for very vulnerable people who may be in a crisis.
“Their support is invaluable in searching the many rural areas that we have here in Wiltshire and it is often thanks to them that these individuals are found and returned to safety.
“Please take a minute to think how you would feel if a member of your family was missing and the actions of an individual were seriously impeding the skills of the highly qualified pilots at NPAS in assisting to search for your loved one.”
