How long before lasers are bannd in the UK?

Some kid was banged up for zapping a police chopper a while back, now some other kid has been arrested and charged after zapping a passenger plane coming in to land and then the police chopper assigned to catch him - f**kwit!

The news sid that the pilot had been 'temporarily blinded' and the co-pilot had had to land. He must have been close, I doubt he had a big laser, the divergence would reduce the power and he only got the pilot, not the co-pilot.

I presume they're buying cheap 5mW or fleabay 'high-powered' lasers from China, I doubt kids would be wise enough or rich enough to buy decent high-powered lasers from reputable sources.

However, it's going to spoil our fun. Sorry as I am to think this, if the govt don't clamp on it now, chances are it will become fashionable in gangs of kids now the police are clamping down on knives, and it wont be long before they start seriously damaging car drivers etc. HOPEFULLY if they do pass legislation, it will be an age-related ban. Perhaps they'll take the easy route and stop paypal taking payments for them as they seem to be doing in the US

I'm very careful now, shining it into the sky, if there's any sound of choppers or planes flying over I don't do it. I'd never have zapped anything anyway if there was a chance I'd damage a pilots eyesight, but now the police choppers will be looking out for someone waving a light sabre across the night sky, and unfortunately the beam points right back to where you are

Here's the link if anyone is interested:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/7568645.stm

I'm so FRUSTRATED everytime I read things like this. Why does there necessarily HAVE to be idiots who are destroying everything for all laser enthusiasts, and risking peoples's lives? If things are gonna go on like this, lasers will soon be banned in the rest of the world. I think that the UK will be next after australia, since there has been a lot of situations lately in the UK where lasers has been involved. I don't think it will take many years for the UK, unfortunatley.

If only the humans could think a little more about CONSEQUENCES when doing things. This is not only about the lasers, but about many other problems in the world as well.

Ban happened in, Australia, Then now USA , i think i will buy much more laser before the bans apply here.It may happens in Uk next.

i actually think that the british government are doing the right thing - giving heavy punishments as a deterrant. In actual fact, lasers are already illegal to own in the Uk tho' IIRC

Each time something happens there a price drop ;D


Australia 53$ - 43$ Dilda
USA 24$ - 22$ TRUE 30mW
UK ??? - ??? ?????
Canada??? HOPE NOT, well i will still have novalasers...