Widow vows to save village

THE widow of a war veteran who died shortly after finding out their home faced demolition to clear a path for the new Heathrow runway has promised to fight to save her community.

Armelle Thomas, 70, blames her husband’s death last year on the arrival of a letter from Heathrow’s chief executive telling them their property was in line for a compulsory purchase.

Her home in Harmondsworth is among hundreds in the area that face being knocked down to facilitate the Governmentbacked expansion.

Clutching a picture of her husband and a collection of his medals from the Second World War, including the Legion d’Honneur, France’s highest honour, she stood defiantly alongside campaigners at the Five Bells pub in the village.

Residents had gathered to lament the move, which will see part of their village wiped out by the development.

Mrs Thomas and husband John, who married in 1970, had spent years battling previous Heathrow expansions before he died in her arms in August last year.

Mrs Thomas, who says she is four days older than the airport, said: “My husband during the war was shot down. He didn’t say ‘I’ve had enough, I’m going home’. He carried on.

“He was fighting for the freedom of this country, for people he didn’t know, but he was fighting for king and country.

“He gives me the strength every day to do the same for my community.”

The long-time campaigner billed the day of the announcement by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling as “round two” and said she would continue writing letters to Prime Minister Theresa May and appealing against the decision in court.

She added: “My husband was frail, but he wasn’t dying before July 1.

“This letter was the absolute cause of him giving up. His legacy is keeping this community, this village and my friends – that village is not going anywhere.”