A laser pen has again being shone at the Wiltshire Air Ambulance, endangering the helicopter and crew.

The combined Wiltshire Police helicopter and air ambulance is thought to have been returning from an accident at Corsham at about 10.30pm yesterday when the incident happened.

@WiltsAirAmbu tweeted: "Once again to the idiots who decided to laser us while on approach to landing back at Devizes you have no idea how dangerous this is."

And a posting on the air ambulance Facebook page reads: "An open message to the person who thought it would be good to shine a laser at us while on approach to base, you have no idea how dangerous this is and we hope that the police unit finds you."

In March last year the helicopter was coming into land at its base at the police headquarters in London Road, Devizes, when a pen was shone towards the cockpit.

The helicopter was at about 500 feet over Devizes when the laser was shone at it. 

At the time air ambulance paramedic Matthew Baskerville, who was on board, said: “It is extremely dangerous and illegal to shine these pens at any aviation vehicle. The lives of the crew and the patients are put at risk as we are unable to see where to land.

“Wiltshire is very lucky to have the only dedicated air ambulance in the UK able to fly at night. This type of incident makes our work almost impossible and we ask everyone to be careful not to do this.”

In March this year, a Trowbridge man was fined by magistrates for shining a light at the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

In June, police concerned about youths in Calne using laser pens spoke to an 18-year-old days. After a CCTV picture was issued the man visited Calne Police Station to speak to officers, where he was given advice on the dangers of using a laser pen and it was destroyed.

In September a boy aged seven is thought to have shone a laser pen into the cockpit of an Airbus jet, heading to Bristol Airport, while playing in his garden in Calne.

A Wiltshire Police spokesman said at the time: “I would urge parents that these devices are not toys and please do not purchase them for your children.”

Anyone with information should contact Wiltshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be left annonymously.