Protesters occupy airport operator’s boardroom

Protesters today occupied the boardroom of the London headquarters of airport operator BAA.

The four-member group, from the environmental body London Rising Tide, barricaded themselves into the office in protest at airport expansion.

As other members of the group erected banners outside, police were called to the BAA building in Wilton Road, Victoria.

"Senior managers are in discussion with the protesters," said a BAA spokeswoman.

The protesters are alarmed at what they see as the damage to the environment from BAA’s expansion plans.

They are particularly concerned that the British Government could shortly give the go-ahead to BAA’s plan for a fifth terminal at Heathrow Airport.

John Stewart, the chairman of the Heathrow anti-noise group Hacan ClearSkies, said: "We support this protest today. BAA is causing misery for many, many Londoners."