A man has been cleared of endangering aircraft with a laser pen after an expert found it was not powerful enough to have such an effect.

Adrian Carpenter was due to stand trial on four charges of endangering the safety of aircraft passing over Sheppey and one of causing danger to road users.

The maximum sentence after a trial is five years imprisonment.

Mr Carpenter was alleged to have shone a laser pen on January 30 last year at BA commercial flights from Munich to Heathrow, Amsterdam to Gatwick, Vienna to Heathrow and a Thomson commercial aircraft from Salzburg to Gatwick.

He was also accused of shining it at a Police Community Support Officer sitting in a marked car two miles from his home a week earlier.

But after considering the expert evidence further the prosecution offered no evidence against the 46-year-old, of Halfway Road, Halfway.

"Considering these are troubled times in which we live, who would wish to aim a laser at a commercial airliner full of passengers making its descent into our airports" - Judge Philip Statman

A judge said it was in the interests of justice that the public should know why such a course was being taken.

Prosecutor Craig Evans explained it was agreed with experts that the two laser pens Mr Carpenter had were not strong enough to endanger the aircraft.

He told a jury sworn in for the trial the allegations were that Mr Carpenter shone the pen at four aircraft as they flew over Kent and descended at 11,000 to 15,000 feet to London airports.

He was also alleged to have shone the pen at the PCSO’s car.

Mr Evans said the laser pens were found at Mr Carpenter’s home during house to house enquiries, but it was not possible to say whether the beam originated from there.

Judge Philip Statman said: “So it couldn’t have been that pen. Someone out there has got a pen capable of endangering aircraft.

“Considering these are troubled times in which we live, who would wish to aim a laser at a commercial airliner full of passengers making its descent into our airports?

“Someone out there has done it and one can only hope he or she will be caught - and anyone having ideas about doing this sort of thing, should they come to court the sentence I will pass upon them will be a very long one indeed.”

The judge directed the jury to return not guilty verdicts on all five charges.