A man is to appear in court accused of endangering the life of a police helicopter crew by deliberately shining a laser at them.

Leonard Turner, 65, of Aldwick Road, Bognor, will appear at Chichester Magistrates’ Court today charged with acting in a manner likely to endanger aircraft.

Sussex Police’s helicopter was flying over Bognor early on July 30 searching for a missing person when the crew spotted a laser beam apparently being aimed at them.

Officers on the ground were directed to a property and arrested a man.