Two charged after shining laser at helicopter

5 January 2011, 16:16 | Updated: 5 January 2011, 16:20

Two men have been charged with endangering an aircraft after a green laser was shone at the Thames Valley Police helicopter in Milton Keynes.

The helicopter, from the Chiltern Air Support Unit’s base at RAF Henlow, was helping to search for a vehicle following an attempted burglary on Monday (3/1), when a laser was shone at it at about 4.40pm.

The helicopter crew directed officers on the ground to a house in Heelands, where two men, both from Milton Keynes, were arrested.

Shannon Nunzio De Maio, aged 23, of North Ninth Street, and Kishan Chudasama, aged 21, of Wealdstone Place, Springfield, have since been charged with directing or shining a light at an aircraft in flight so as to dazzle or distract the pilot.

Both men were released on bail to appear before Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court on 24 January.