Message 'loud and clear' from anti Heathrow-third runway protesters outside Downing Street

Chants of " Theresa May , save us from a third runway" could be heard by the new Prime Minister as she left Downing Street this morning.

In a colourful protest to send a strong message to Mrs May campaigners from across west London boroughs of Ealing , Richmond , Hounslow and the Heathrow villages gathered outside No. 10 on Wednesday (July 20) to make sure they could be heard loud and clear about their stance on Heathrow Airport.

More than 50 people from anti-Heathrow expansion groups including Stop Heathrow Expansion and HACAN (Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise) were part of the group that were there to remind Mrs May she had the power to stop a third runway at Heathrow, as she went for her first PM's Question Time.

Chiswick resident Hamish Pringle said: “We wanted to get across loud and clear to the new Prime Minister the devastating impact that a new runway would have on many areas in Hounslow.

“Huge swathes of the borough would be under a flight path for the first time.”

The morning of action came saw campaigners rallying for around half an hour outside the PM's office at around 11am.

Neil Keveren, who lives in Harmondsworth, an area where people face losing their homes if a third runway gets the go ahead, said: "I'm here today to send a strong message to our new prime minister that I don't want a third runway.

“On the steps of Downing Street last week she said we look out not for big business, but for people and their families. That extends to Heathrow expansion."

PM's position 'unchanged'

According to reports, Mrs May is believed to have said in Parliament today that the position on Heathrow had not changed.

However in response to the protest, pro-expansion group Back Heathrow, continued to deliver their message that more people living in local communities supported Heathrow expansion rather than oppose it.

A Back Heathrow spokesperson said: "Let's remember that more than 53,000 local residents responded to a public consultation to say they backed a new runway at Heathrow while just 161 supporters of Stop Heathrow Expansion wrote to the consultation.

"The Prime Minister should listen carefully to the protesting minority but she should also listen to the vast numbers of people in west London who want to see Heathrow grow and succeed."

Mrs May has been known to voice her strong opposition to expanding the west London airport in the past.

Mrs May revealed her cabinet last week with Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary , Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, who may have accidentally let slip the government's decision on airport expansion already; and new Transport Minister Chris Grayling.