THE company at the heart of this week's Climate Camp protests has lost two top executives because of rows with the company's Spanish owners.

Duncan Bonfield, BAA's head of corporate affairs, and Mark Mann, head of media relations, both quit the airport operator, after a furious dispute over a gagging order, it has emerged.

Reportedly the pair objected to the controlling attitude of Ferovial, the Madrid-based company, which owns the majority of BAA's shares.

These two high-profile employees, are the latest to join the increasing list of top officials who have recently quit BAA, including Heathrow Airport boss Tony Douglas, who walked out last month.

The company is currently facing tough media, environmental and regulatory pressure.

This week, activists from Climate Camp marched to the BAA headquarters in Mondial Way, off Bath Road, near Heathrow, to protest about possible airport expansion and climate change.

BAA is also under pressure from the media because of overcrowding at Heathrow, as well as its airports at Stansted and Gatwick.

The final straw for Mr Bonfield and Mr Mann is understood to have come in June, when Ferovial is understood to have imposed a blanket ban on media relations, after details of a government meeting were leaked.

A spokesman for BAA confirmed the two men had left the company, and that an interim communications director has now been appointed.