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Lasers shone at landing aircraft at Exeter and Newquay Lasers shone at landing aircraft at Exeter and Newquay
(about 1 hour later)
Two passenger planes - one over Exeter, Devon, and one at Newquay, Cornwall - had laser beams shone into their cockpits on Friday night.Two passenger planes - one over Exeter, Devon, and one at Newquay, Cornwall - had laser beams shone into their cockpits on Friday night.
An Airbus was struck by a beam while it was coming in to land at Exeter about 20:00 BST. A Thomson Airbus from Corfu was struck by a beam while it was coming in to land at Exeter at about 20:00 BST.
Police confirmed a similar incident happened during a descent at Newquay. A Flybe plane from Gatwick was hit at Newquay during a descent at 21:17.
Each aircraft had more than 60 people on board. They landed safely, but police said the pilots could have been blinded. Each aircraft had more than 60 people on board. They landed safely but the pilots could have been blinded, police said.
Helicopter scrambled Police said the aircraft at Exeter was on final approach, low to the ground and over the city.
Police said the Exeter aircraft was on final approach, low to the ground and over the city. 'Crashed aircraft'
The airport said it was about three miles (4.8km) out from the runway.
The beam was reported as coming from a sports ground in the Whipton area, on the other side of the M5 motorway from the airport.The beam was reported as coming from a sports ground in the Whipton area, on the other side of the M5 motorway from the airport.
The force helicopter was scrambled to find the source of the beam. The police helicopter was scrambled to find the source of the beam.
Ch Insp Brendan Brookshaw, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: "Potentially we could have been talking about a crashed aircraft.Ch Insp Brendan Brookshaw, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: "Potentially we could have been talking about a crashed aircraft.
"We don't want this develop into a pattern of behaviour.""We don't want this develop into a pattern of behaviour."
People shining lasers at aircraft faced up to five years in prison under Civil Aviation Act, he added. Police treated such incidents as a possible prelude to a terrorist attack, he added.
He said: "Obviously a laser [striking an aircraft] could be a prelude to a missile attack.
"We look at it with that level of seriousness."
People shining lasers at aircraft faced up to five years in prison under Civil Aviation Act, he said.