Climate change protesters create chaos at Heathrow

Climate change protesters caused chaos at Heathrow today after setting up camp on one of its runways for seven hours.

21 flights had to be cancelled after a dozen members of Plane Stupid cut through a perimeter fence at 3.30am and then sat on the northern runway.

Protesters opposed to plans for a third runway tied themselves together and grinned as they posed for selfies while police tried to prise them apart and drag them off the Tarmac.

Heathrow is set to lose millions after it was forced cancel flights while critics have questioned how the group managed to get on to the runway in the first place.

Scotland Yard said today it had arrested nine people and 13 in total had been removed from the runway by 10.30am.

Travellers have been asked to contact their airline if they are due to fly to and from Heathrow.

One protester who broke in to the airport said they were campaigning against a third runway and would stay there for as long as possible.

A Heathrow Airport spokesman said: 'This morning a group of people staged a protest on the northern runway. These individuals have since been removed by police.

'Both runways were operational throughout, although there have been some delays and a few cancellations - we are sorry to those passengers who experienced disruption this morning.

'The safety of our passengers and the smooth running of the operation is paramount. Anyone who breaks the law and interferes with the safe operation of the airport can expect to face legal action.”

Heathrow is set to launch an investigation into the incident because the fence Plane Stupid cut through is watched by CCTV cameras and regular patrols.

A video posted online appeared to show several activists chained together and being spoken to by a police officer.

The officer told them: 'As a consequence of you being here, you are causing severe disruption and it will be in the millions of pounds because it will take us a while to remove you.

'The cost will be in the couple of millions. The airport will attempt to make a civil recovery. There are international flights now being diverted.'

Heathrow today denied there were any diverted aircraft and said because the group were at the end of the runway they could keep using it.

Earlier this month a long-awaited report recommended that a new runway should be built at Heathrow rather than Gatwick.

After three years of investigation, the Airports Commission said Heathrow was best placed to provide 'urgently required' capacity, but environmentalists warned that building a new runway there will make it harder to reduce air pollution and climate change emissions.

Ella Gilbert, one of the activists on the runway, said: 'Building more runways goes against everything we're being told by scientists and experts on climate change.

'This would massively increase carbon emissions exactly when we need to massively reduce them, that's why we're here.

'We want to say sorry to anyone whose day we've ruined, and we're not saying that everybody who wants to fly is a bad person.

'It's those who fly frequently and unnecessarily who are driving the need for expansion, and we cannot keep ignoring the terrifying consequences of flying like there's no tomorrow.

'No ifs, no buts, no third runway. And we mean it.'

Hundreds of passengers were left stranded today, including a couple due to get married tomorrow.

Chris Madigan, 28, and his fiancée Kristen Lutz, 25, will have been delayed by more than 13 hours before they fly to Dublin later tonight .

Ms Lutz, from Chicago, said: 'My whole family are already there (at the wedding venue). It's quite frustrating'.

Mr Madigan, who is originally from London but now lives in the US with his bride-to-be, said: 'It's a pain. We're supposed to be going to Dublin to get married. We're getting married tomorrow.

'It's put a spanner in the works'.

The Metropolitan Police said some of the demonstrators had chained themselves together using a so-called tripod.

A spokesman said: 'At approximately 3.45am officers were alerted to a number of protesters who had made their way airside at Heathrow Airport.

'There were 13 protestors in total on the North runway. Nine have so far been arrested on suspicion of Aviation Act offences and taken into custody'.

Afzal Ashraf, a consultant fellow at defence and security think- tank the Royal United Services Institute, said the security breach is a 'concern'.

'If they did manage to get to a runway before being apprehended then there is a bit of an issue,' he said.

'If a terrorist group came up to the fence it would take a few minutes to cut through. It's very easy to get to a fence before the police are able to react.'

Mr Ashraf said the incident 'does raise questions' about security at the airport.

'I think we need to look at the details, it's worth asking questions. I don't think there is a straightforward comparison between protesters and terrorists,' he added.

'It's one thing to get in and chain yourself to a railing, it's another to get near an aircraft. I'm sure there will be a security review.'