The moment a green laser was shone at an air ambulance attending a medical emergency has been caught on camera. 

Pilots are warning of the dangers of shining lasers at aircraft after the incident, which happened at 2.30am on December 27.

Although the incident happened in Attleborough in Norfolk, the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) attends hundreds of emergencies in Suffolk throughout the year. 

Captain Seb Powderham, from EAAA’s aviation partner, Babcock International Group, expressed his disappointment at the incident – which he warned could have affected flight safety.

He said: “Lasers directed at aircraft can significantly impact flight operations.

"Most importantly, if a laser were to incapacitate the pilot’s ability to operate due to impaired vision, flight safety would be compromised.

"Short-term effects include temporary flash blindness and potential distraction at a critical stage of flight. Long-term effects could include permanent damage to the eye.”

“Pilots may be required to manoeuvre the aircraft to protect the crew from the source of the laser, adjust cockpit lighting to minimise the damaging effects of the laser, update planned landing options or abandon the mission altogether.

"All of which ultimately impact safety and distract from the operational tasking.

“We hope by releasing the footage we can not only support Norfolk Police in identifying those responsible for this particular incident but can further highlight the risks of shining lasers at any aircraft.”

PC Dion Phillips, of Norfolk police, added: “All the reported incidents happen overnight, often in the early hours of the morning.

"We’ve looked into every incident, and haven’t been able to identify the person responsible, which is why we’re appealing to the local community and people living in Attleborough to share any information with us.

"We think the person responsible is probably in the town centre at the time.”