MAYOR of London, Boris Johnson, today criticised Gordon Brown for failing to accept his challenge of a public debate on plans for a third runway at Heathrow.

The Prime Minister is yet to engage in a public debate over Heathrow and there has been no parliamentary vote on expansion, despite the enormous impact that it will have on residents of Hillingdon, and thousands of Londoners.

The Mayor offered the Prime Minister the opportunity to make his case at tonight’s event in Hayes, but a response from Number 10 has failed to materialise. The Mayor will be joined at what is expected to be a lively full-house ‘People’s Question Time’ event by politicians, campaigners, and business representatives from all sides of the debate.

Mr Johnson said: “It of course comes as no surprise that the Prime Minister has ducked the challenge of debating the expansion of Heathrow among the people who will be directly affected by it.

“Clearly deep down he must know that the case against the runway, and the opposition to it, is overwhelming. But he nevertheless proceeds with it seemingly hell-bent on proving that he is a can-do Prime Minister, even if what he is doing is as environmentally calamitous as this.”

At the event at the Beck Theatre this evening, the Mayor will argue the case against the expansion alongside Zac Goldsmith, former editor of The Ecologist Magazine and Conservative parliamentary candidate; and Cllr Ray Puddifoot, leader of Hillingdon Council.

The case for the expansion will be put by Lord Soley, Labour Peer and former MP for Hammersmith; and Frank Wingate, Chief Executive of West London Business.

The event starts at 7pm, doors open at 6pm. The full allocation of 600 tickets has now been reached. There is a first come first served system for any returns on the door.