AN “irresponsible” yob was blasted today after attempting to blind the driver of a Tayside train with a laser pen.
A ScotRail service running between Carnoustie and Aberdeen was approaching Montrose when the pen was aimed at the cab of the train.
It is thought the culprit attempted to shine the laser through the front window as the train was about 500 metres south of Montrose station on the Rossie Viaduct.
The driver had to momentarily shield his eyes, putting himself and the passengers at risk from missing any signals.
Luckily, no one was injured in the incident.
RMT’s regional organiser for Scotland, Gordon Martin, condemned the yob’s actions — which police are now investigating.
He said: “I saw the incident on the latest British Transport Police bulletin and this is very serious.
“It is putting the safety of the passengers and the train crew at risk.
“If the driver was approaching a signal it could have been very dangerous as it could have given the driver a fright and caused him to miss the signal.
“The other danger is that it can cause permanent damage to the driver’s eyes.
“It’s totally irresponsible and I would condemn it entirely.
“To be fair, I’ve not heard of this sort of thing too often —it’s not a problem I hear of every day thankfully.”
It is not yet known where the laser was shone from, but British Transport Police are appealing for any witnesses to last Tuesday’s incident to come forward with information. Temporary Inspector Willie Cruickshanks said the driver had to take his eyes off the track to avoid being blinded by the laser.
He said: “The driver has been very lucky in that he was able to look away from it.
“Shining laser pens can cause issues where the driver could have been put in a state where he could not take the train forward.
“Lasers can also cause damage to the eyes by burning them.
“We are now appealing to the public to provide any information to help us with our inquiry to stop this from happening again.
“If anyone in the area saw anything or know of people using laser pens, please get in touch.”
British Transport Police can be contacted on 0800 40 50 40 or by texting 61016. Information can also be given to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.