THE past an present bosses of Heathrow Airport have spun a web of lies in order to get a third runway, it has been revealed.

John Stewart, chairman of anti-expansion group HACAN today sourced letters and interviews in which BAA's previous chief executive lied to get a third runway.

Sir John Egan has been quoted as saying in a letter to residents towards the start of the Terminal Five Inquiry in 1995: “T5 does not call for a third runway.”

When asked about this promise on Wednesday December 10 at the Heathrow Consultative Committee, BAA's director of strategy, Mike Forster, said: “Well, that's what he had to say to get permission for Terminal 5.”

In another “Dear neighbour” letter in April 1999, Sir Egan, said: “We have since repeated often that we do not want, nor shall we seek, an additional runway.

“I can now report that we went even further at the Inquiry and call on the Inspector to recommend that, subject to permission being given for T5, an additional Heathrow runway should be ruled out forever.”

He added: “Our position could not be clearer, T5 will not lead to a third runway.”

John Stewart, chairman of HACAN, said: “We now know it was all lies. For some time now we have ceased to believe anything BAA says.

“The existence of Father Christmas is less of a fairy tale than the promises of BAA.”

At the end of November this year, BAA called on the government to appoint an independent assessor of noise and air quality if it wins approval for a third runway, to ensure limits are not breached.

BAA's current chief executive, Colin Matthews, said: “By calling on an independent assessor to scrutinise the airport's performance against these limits, we are providing an uncompromising assurance that we will operate Heathrow airport within the limits laid down by government.”

Mr Stewart added: “This time round nobody is taking any notice of BAA's so-called uncompromising assurances. They just don't wash”