Heathrow climate campers deny hoax bomb claims

SIPSON, England, Aug 14 (Reuters) Climate campaigners camped next to London's Heathrow airport to protest expansion plans denied today they would endanger passengers at the world's busiest international air hub at its peak time of year.

Despite promises of ''direct action'', the campaigners have complained to the Press Complaints Commission at a report that they planned to make hoax bomb calls and other activities to interrupt the airport that handles 200,000 passengers a day.

''We cannot afford to alientate the public and we will not.

Direct action will be safe and it won't be targeting passengers,'' said campaigner and Leeds University science lecturer Simon Lewis at the encampment on the path of a proposed third runway for the airport.

The protest comes at the height of the holiday season, three months after a blazing jeep was used to attack Glasgow airport and a year after police thwarted what they said was a plan to bomb airliners flying out of Heathrow to the United States.

The campaigners plan a week of activities they say will culminate on Sunday midday with 24 hours of ''direct action'' in a bid to force the government to halt the expansion of the airport, which they say will exacerbate global warming.

They said actions could involve a mass picnic in Sipson, a town set for destruction if the runway is built, and targeting the offices of airport operator BAA, owned by Spain's Ferrovial.

The camp formally opened today under sodden skies and with more rain forecast, with the start of a series of lectures on the science of global warming and personal actions to help combat what has been described as a threat worse than terrorism.

The atmosphere among the damp but cheerful participants who range from toddlers to pensioners was a cross between a pop concert and a picnic in a camp that was a model of organisation, with sanitation, sleeping, cooking, eating and lecture areas.

BAA said it deplored the reports of the planned disruption.

''BAA agrees that there is a debate to be had about aviation and climate change, but the 1.5 million passengers who will travel through the airport during the camp have a right to go about their lawful travel plans without being harassed or intimidated,'' it said in a statement.

Lewis accused the airports operator of obfuscating: ''There is a smear campaign against this camp. We don't know who is doing it but we do know that BAA wants to talk about anything but climate change.'' The protest comes at the height of the holiday season at an airport that handles an average of about one flight a minute and a total of nearly 70 million passengers a year.

Scientists say air transport contributes heavily to global warming, noting that the carbon dioxide and water vapour emitted at altitude are four times more potent than at sea level.

Organisers said around 250 protesters had arrived at the camp, just to the north of the airport. Up to 1,500 campaigners are expected to join the camp over the week.

Police said extra officers had been drafted in but that so far all was quiet.

REUTERS RSA KP2330