PARAMEDICS’ lives were put in danger after an air ambulance was targeted with a powerful laser pen.

Cops are probing an incident of a beam directed into the helicopter’s cockpit as it flew over the River Clyde.

Louts in Greenock aimed a powerful beam at the aircraft last weekend.

Crew members on a container ship on the River Clyde at Greenock also reported being dazzled by a laser beam.

A police spokeswoman said: “Police Scotland officers recently visited two high schools in the Clydebank area to speak to pupils about the dangers of shining laser pens at aircraft.

“This is part of education and prevention work following a rise in the number of incidents in and around the areas of Clydebank and Greater Glasgow, which are near to the flight path for the airport.”

Meanwhile, Dr Steve Schallhorn, chief medical director at Optical Express, warned how laser pens can burn pilots’ retinas and cause devastating damage.

The former US Navy pilot said: “The problem is that I’m not sure that people who misuse powerful laser pens actually understand the harmful effect they can have on vision.

“Sudden exposure to a laser beam during a critical phase of flight such as take-off or landing could seriously distract or disorient a pilot, causing a disruption in concentration or instrument scanning.

“When viewed directly, powerful lasers can cause irreversible eye injury by burning the retina.

“Other possible side-effects include glare, which can cause reduced vision, and flash blindness, which obliterates a portion or all of a pilot’s visual field and causes the occurrence of after images.”

According to the Civil Aviation Authority, almost 9,000 laser incidents were reported across the UK between January 2009 and June 2015. It is illegal to shine a light at an aircraft in flight so as to dazzle or distract the pilot.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “The shining of a laser light can have very serious consequences, endangering the crew, passengers, and the public. Police Scotland are keen to trace anyone involved in these incidents. The fact that the air ambulance was targeted was particularly worrying.

“Similar cases have been successfully prosecuted and those found guilty of participating in such behaviour are liable to a term of imprisonment.”