Anti-Heathrow expansion campaigners are celebrating after European environment chiefs came out against the scheme.

The European Union said proposals for a third runway at the busy airport would lead to it missing nitrogen oxide targets set by the EU for 2015 and would 'significantly breach air pollution guidelines'.

"Yet another powerful body is saying to the Government that its figures for air pollution don't stand up,"  said HACAN ClearSkies chairman John Stewart.
"When will they listen to what is being said and drop these proposals."

But pro-expansion group Future Heathrow defended the proposals and said the EU had only pointed out that expansion 'could' breach pollution guidelines.

"Our position is clear, it can't go ahead unless the Government can demonstrate that expansion can take place within the legal limits on noise and air pollution set down by the EU and Government," said campaign director Lord Clive Soley.

"I take the view that any expansion of Heathrow would need to make it more environmentally sound and make it better than before not worse, because we can do that, at least on noise."

Lord Soley added that the EU's position was 'nonsense' as it would mean that Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Paris airports would also be in breach of the pollution limits.