Runway sit-in sparks chaos at Heathrow

CLIMATE change protesters caused chaos at Heathrow airport yesterday after they cut through a perimeter fence to stage a seven-hour sit-in on a runway.

At least 21 flights were cancelled, while many travellers, including tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, faced lengthy delays after demonstrators chained themselves together to protest against airport expansion.

The incident has also raised concerns over how security was breached at a time when Britain is on a ‘severe’ terror alert.

At around 3.30am, 13 members of Plane Stupid gained access to the runway ‘in a matter of minutes’, according to one of the group. They oppose a third runway being built at Heathrow, a move recommended in a report published earlier this month.

It was 10.30am before the protesters were removed, and police arrested nine people on suspicion of Aviation Act offences.

Afzal Ashraf, from the defence and security think-tank the Royal United Services Institute, said: ‘If they did manage to get to a runway before being apprehended then there is a bit of an issue. If a terrorist group came up to the fence it would only take a few minutes to cut through.’

A spokesman for Heathrow insisted both runways were operational throughout the incident but admitted there had been ‘some delays and a few cancellations’.