South Ruislip residents are desperately calling on recently-elected MP Boris Johnson to halt flights from RAF Northolt flying over their houses.

Retired electrician Douglas Lewington, of Mahlon Avenue, has collected more than 500 signatures in a bid to ensure aeroplanes and helicopters stick to the designated flight path.

He said: “I'm prepared to go to court and swear that planes and helicopters are flying over our houses in South Ruislip. 523 people have agreed that RAF Northolt are not sticking to flight path.

“If they're sticking to their flight path as they're supposed to, they cannot fly over Mahlon Avenue.

“If they're flying over our houses, which they are, they're not sticking to the flight path and that's all our argument's been about.

“We've been up and stood on the flight path but little did we know they've got cameras so they can see us standing there and so then they take off on the proper flight path.”

RAF Northolt is said to use one runway with a designated flight path but residents who signed the petition regularly see planes taking off over their houses.

Mr Lewington, 78, started the fight against the military airfield five years ago. Since then, the number of flights has been steadily increasing.

In 2013, the decision to keep RAF Northolt as a military airfield included an instruction from defence ministers that the base should aim to increase its revenue from commercial aircraft.

The increase was set to rise from 7,000 flight movements, taking off or landing, to 12,000 a year.

However, according to an RAF spokesman: “Military and government movements are uncapped but expect to remain constant with the total number of movements in 2016 not expecting to exceed 17,500.”

The increase in the number of flights has raised concerns locally about the levels of noise and air pollution.

John Stewart, Chair of Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise (HACAN), showed concern for the rising number of flights.

He said: “RAF Northolt has become a noisy, useless neighbour. This has only happened because flight paths seem to have changed without any thought of the impact of local communities.

“The result of this could be increased noise pollution, particularly with local schools means more noise for local communities.”

Mr Lewington, who has sent numerous letters, attended residents' associations and had the support of previous Uxbridge & South Ruislip MP, John Randall, now sees new hope that Boris Johnson will help fight his corner.

He said: “We sent our petition to Wing Commander Willis, who's now left RAF Northolt. I got a letter from Allan Kauffman, our councillor, after we complained to him which went to Mr Willis who then threw it in the bin. He dumped it.

“I met Boris Johnson at his surgery and spoke to him about the amount of flights there are here and I think he's definitely going to get involved.”