Campaigners donned masks to stage a silent protest about air pollution at Heathrow.

About 50 anti-third runway protesters - in T-shirts emblazoned with the message 'dying for clean air' - gathered at Terminal 5 on Sunday (May 10) to highlight what they say are dangerously high levels of pollutants around the airport.

They claim expansion of Heathrow should be ruled out as the extra flights and traffic generated would make the air around the site even dirtier.

Neil Keveren, whose home would be demolished if a third runway is built, said, "Right now air pollution badly affects our communities.

"In a number of our areas pollution levels are above the legal limits set down by the EU.

"Heathrow Airport claims things are getting better. But it simply cannot guarantee that, with a third runway and an extra quarter of a million planes a year, air pollution levels will come down so they meet the EU legal limits. It is just wishful thinking."

The protest came two days after the Airports Commission, which is considering rival bids for an extra runway at Heathrow and Gatwick, launched a consultation on air quality.

The commission's latest forecast suggests pollution targets could be met even with a third runway at Heathrow but that expansion would delay efforts to reduce nitrogen dioxide levels to within EU limits.

Its report was welcomed by Heathrow, which recently announced a 10-point plan for a greener airport, including the prospect of banning all but the cleanest vehicles from the vicinity.

Heathrow says traffic on the M4, M25 and other roads, much of which is unconnected with the airport, is largely to blame for pollution in the area.

The UK's Supreme Court last month gave the Government until the end of the year to draw up plans to meet EU pollution limits - a ruling Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate described as a potential "showstopper" for a third runway.

An extra runway at Heathrow would enable annual flights to increase by 50% to 740,000.