A 20-year-old man was locked up for six months today for endangering the lives of the pilot and crew of the West Yorkshire Police helicopter by shining a laser pen at them.

Luke Rawson admitted shining the dazzling green light three times at the helicopter as it flew over Great Horton, Bradford, at 11.40pm on June 3.

Footage of the incident was played at Bradford Crown Court, showing how quickly technology on the aircraft pinpointed the house window the pen was directed from.

Rawson, of Rawson, Street, Wyke, Bradford, pleaded guilty to recklessly or negligently acting in a manner likely to endanger aircraft, in breach of the Civil Aviation Act.

Prosecutor Ewan McLachlan said the helicopter pilot had to take avoiding action, fearing he would be blinded or disorientated by the laser.

Sophisticated night vision cameras on the helicopter homed in on the address the pen was being shone from, even showing a figure at the window.

Police arrested Rawson at the house at 5.30am the next day.

He told them: “Yes, I did it,” and said he threw the pen out of the window.

He said he and a friend were “messing about” and did not see or hear a helicopter.

Rawson’s lawyer, Philip Ainge, said he never intended to cause the aircraft difficulty or put the pilot and two crew members in jeopardy.

He now realised the seriousness of the situation.

“It could have been so much worse and he accepts that,” Mr Ainge said.

Judge Jonathan Rose told Rawson: “I don’t believe that you intended to put the lives of these men in danger but I am absolutely certain that is exactly what you did.”

The judge said he wished he could put everyone in the dock who thought it a bit of a lark to shine a laser pen into the eyes of a pilot.

He said the practice was seen as something of a game for young people.

“The message will have to go out about how dangerous it is to shine any light up to the pilot of an aircraft,” Judge Rose said.

Rawson was sent to a young offender institution for six months.