lcox@thekmgroup.co.uk

A teenager from Chatham has pleaded guilty to recklessly endangering an aircraft after shining a laser into the cockpit of the Essex police helicopter.
The 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, shone the green light beam at the pilot of the aircraft as it passed through Medway at about 1am on Tuesday, June 23.
The incident caused temporary blindness for the pilot and visual difficulties for the crew, but the crew were still able to direct officers on the ground to a location they believed the teeanger was hiding and an arrest was made.
The boy pleaded guilty to the offence when he appeared before Medway Magistrates and was give an six-month referral order and had to pay £60 costs.
Chief Insp Mark Arnold said: “Shining a laser pen at any helicopter or aircraft is not only dangerous for the crew but also for the community living below.
“Fortunately this incident did not result in an accident and no-one was injured.
“This is not a trivial prank but is about public safety.
“Anyone involved in this activity will be brought before the courts and prosecuted. They will then end up with a criminal record for their actions.”