Runway protesters in battle to halt Heathrow

HUNDREDS of demonstrators are expected to descend on Heathrow tonight in protest at the expected go-ahead for a third runway.

Police are prepared to make mass arrests to prevent the airport being brought to a halt. Activists are planning to get into the airport's Terminal1 posing as passengers.

But leading airline industry figures and business groups urged the Government not to "duck the decision".

Senior business and trade union leaders met at a summit organised by pro-expansion group Future Heathrow to make a last-ditch case for expansion. However, the decision could be delayed as rebel ministers join Boris Johnson and environmentalists to fight a rearguard action to block the project. In response, the pro-Heathrow alliance - including airport owner BAA, British Airways, BMI, the CBI and the TUC - has taken out adverts in the press today and will meet this morning to argue the case for expansion.

They believe that a third runway is vital for jobs, economic growth, investment and the long-term competitiveness of the UK economy.

They claim that the difficult economic backdrop highlights the need to take decisions now that will help safeguard Britain's economic future.

CBI director general Richard Lambert said: "A third runway is vital to maintaining the UK's economic competitiveness, and provided the environmental conditions are met, will put us ahead of the game when the economic upturn comes by providing greater capacity and better access to key markets."

BA chief executive Willie Walsh added: "The rest of Europe has already built extra capacity at its hub airports and will be ready to benefit when the economic recovery comes. Britain cannot afford to slip further behind."

Colin Matthews, chief executive of BAA, said: "A third runway will only go ahead if strict environmental limits are met. We are confident that they will be and have requested that the Government appoint an independent assessor to ensure that the environmental limits will be adhered to."

Business and union leaders claim poor service could damage London's access to global markets.

But the looming go-ahead - revealed in the Evening Standard on Friday - increased anger among protesters against aviation emissions.

More than 1,000 people are expected to attempt to cause chaos tonight at the airport.

Some demonstrators have said they will try to occupy the terminal for two days, in an attempt to emulate the chaos caused by the Bangkok airport demo last month.

The action could cause massive flight disruption, although organisers think it is unlikely police will allow the protests to carry on that long.

At a planning meeting in London on Friday, police conceded they could not stop all of an estimated 1,000 protesters entering Heathrow's Terminal One at 7pm today.

However, police are prepared for multiple arrests. A source said: "We will let them protest in there as long as it doesn't disrupt things or get out of hand. If that happens we will act resolutely."

Tonight the protesters, from groups such as Plane Stupid and Climate Rush as well as local residents, will hold a "Protest Picnic" in the departures area of the terminal after gaining entrance posing as passengers. Climate Rush is planning to block the departure gate at Terminal 1.

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