Anti-Airport Celebs buy Heathrow land

A football pitch-sized plot of land on the proposed site for Heathrow’s third runway has been bought by an unlikely coalition of celebrities, MPs, scientists, and eco-campaigners.

The four owners on the legal deeds are actress Emma Thompson, impressionist Alistair McGowan, Conservative Party green advisor Zac Goldsmith, and Greenpeace director John Sauven.

An additional 10,000 people have signed up to be ‘beneficial owners’, including MPs Justine Greening, Susan Kramer and John McDonnell.

With each person having a stake in the land, they will be represented in any court hearing on the runway.

All 10,000 have vowed to never sell up.

John Sauven said he was ‘astonished’ at the speed of the public’s response to the campaign.

Government attempts to ‘bulldoze public opinion’ will be blocked at every turn, Sauven added.

Airport operator BAA, who will have to buy the land from the campaigners before they can build a third Heathrow runway, described the move by Greenpeace as ‘clever’.

Greenpeace lawyers are now working out how all 10,000 owners can act as a legal obstacle to the proposed runway.

Eco-campaigners can sign up to become a beneficial owner here.