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Virgin Atlantic: pilots' union demands action after laser incident

British Airline Pilots Association says lasers should be classified as offensive weapon after beam forced jet's return to Heathrow

A pilots' union has called for more to be done to tackle the growing use of lasers against aircraft after a New York-bound plane had to turn back to Heathrow.

The Virgin Atlantic flight returned to the west London airport as a precaution after the co-pilot reported feeling unwell following the incident on Sunday.

A Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman said the safety of the crew and customers on board Flight VS025 was a top priority. She added: "All customers will be offered overnight accommodation and we will get them on their journey as soon as possible. We are working with the authorities to identify the source of the laser that caused the return of the aircraft to Heathrow."