Mum’s joy at laser verdict

THE MOTHER of an eight-year-old boy whose eyesight was damaged by a laser pointer has said she is “over the moon” after seeing the business owner who sold the item sentenced to 240 hours’ community service.

Angela Marshall’s son, Jonathan, was left with a damaged retina when he played with a pointer he bought at his school’s Christmas fair. The pointer was foundtohaveapoweroutputof 100milliwatts, well over the legal maximum.

Mrs Marshall, of Hertfordshire, who campaigned for a ban on the pointers, saidshehopedtheverdictwouldensure that toy suppliers would be more vigilant.

“Jonathan is a very lucky boy,” she said. “There will always be a hole at the back of his eye, but the cells are slowly growing over it.”

She added: “What is frightening is that there are still 200 pointers loose, and we have no way t o t r a c e them.” Jonathan Marshall