Ken Livingstone: Heathrow Airport 'is shaming London' » Local Government » 24dash.com

Heathrow Airport is shaming London with its poor service and bosses who must be "out of their skull", Ken Livingstone claimed today.

The London Mayor let loose on the eve of the British Airports Authority (BAA) High Court battle for an injunction against protestors fighting expansion at the UK's biggest airport.

All the injunction claim has done is to increase the likelihood of hardcore protestors invading the planned Camp for Climate Action protest at Heathrow Airport from August 14 to 21, according to Mr Livingstone.

He said: "A small hardcore of virtually professional protesters were planning to do the sort of thing they do at G8 and other places.

"Police are quite good at policing against this. What BAA have done is guarantee massive coverage of what was going to be a minor encampment.

"Now it will undoubtedly be more larger than it would have been. Someone there must be out of their skull. The vast majority of people would not have been aware that this would be taking place.

"As an example of breathtaking stupidity, it could be rated under Metronet for breathtaking incompetence."

He added: "Certainly Heathrow does shame London. It is typical of the English short-termism, lack of planning, lack of investment."

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair had assured him that the police would have it under control.

In the belief that five million protestors may turn up, BAA hopes to impose wide-spread restrictions across parts of the rail and tube networks, sections of the M25 and M4 motorways and around the airport during the protests, Mr Livingstone pointed out.

BAA, which owns Heathrow, will find their plans opposed by Transport for London (TfL), the capital's transport authority.

Mr Livingstone vowed: "We (TfL) oppose the plans for an extra runway. We will fight it through every conceivable court in Britain and Europe and do everything legal to protest against it."

BAA has been stung by criticisms of services at Heathrow including fears that delays are damaging London's status as a major financial centre.

Kitty Ussher, the City minister, spoke of increasing disenchantment among business executives at what she described as "Heathrow hassle" adding "you spend so much time being processed."

She was backed by the Confederation of British Industry, which called on BAA to resolve the "current strains" on Heathrow to ensure it remained a leading European hub.

Giovanni Bisignani, director general of the International Air Transport Association, which represents the world's major airlines, said the "unique" screening regimes at British airports "inconvenience passengers with no improvement in security".

He also accused BAA of "failing to invest in appropriate equipment and staff to meet demand".

Copyright Press Association 2007.

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