Police have been called in to investigate after an ambulance crew, transporting a patient to hospital after an emergency call, had a laser shone in their eyes by a passing car.

Paramedic, Sam Grimson, said it happened as a car overtook him during a shift on Saturday night. The act was condemned by West Midlands Ambulance Service as “outrageous”.

Mr Grimson tweeted:

Replying to concerned followers, he added: “I am OK, thank you for asking, just livid. Why do people do it?”. The incident took place just after 1am on Bordesley Green Road. Ambulance Service chiefs condemned the actions as 'plain stupid', tweeting:

Laser attacks are a growing problem across the Midlands. Mail planes flying in and out of Birmingham Airport were targeted 73 times last year – the third-highest figure in the country. Speaking to the Birmingham Mail, former RAF and British Airways pilot Steve Landells warned that shining a laser at an aircraft was incredibly dangerous. He said:

“The power of these devices is increasing and we’re concerned that, if left to escalate without significant intervention, we could see a serious incident in the near future.”