A potentially dangerous craze of dazzling aircraft pilots with lasers has been outlawed under new legislation, it was announced today.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which has campaigned for a change in the law, said the move was in response to a huge increase in incidents at airports such as Leeds-Bradford.

The Yeadon airport had one of the highest number of incidents involving people shining lasers at aircraft of any in the UK last year.

Under the Air Navigation Order 2009, which has now come into force, it is illegal for someone to “direct or shine any light at any aircraft in flight so as to dazzle or distract the pilot.”

Captain Bob Jones, head of flight operations at the CAA, said: “This new criminal charge will strengthen the hand of law enforcement agencies in their efforts to tackle this problem.

“I advise individuals who may think shining a laser at an aircraft is a bit of fun to think again.”

Dazzling a pilot with a light or laser is a serious safety risk, particularly during take-off and landing when a pilot’s concentration was highest, he said.

In 2009 there were a total of 737 attacks – 39 at Leeds-Bradford – with lasers on commercial airliners, air ambulances and police helicopters across the UK, an increase on just 29 incidents in 2007.

One saw three Bradford University students given suspended jail sentences for shining a laser into the eyes of a West Yorkshire Police helicopter pilot.

The Crown successfully prosecuted Themis Kalogridis, 23, Vaggelis Giannakakos, 21 and Vasileios Keramidas, 22, for recklessly or negligently acting to endanger aircraft.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said the force was now using an on-board camera and GPS system to pinpoint where the laser beam was coming from.

He said: “Officers on the ground can then be directed to a location to trace any offenders. This is something the police take very seriously."