Greenpeace activists climb on Heathrow plane
A number of Greenpeace activists have climbed on top of a Boeing aeroplane at Heathrow Airport as part of a climate change protest.
Greenpeace described it as an "incredible security breach" and said the activists had unfurled banners from on top of the Boeing 777 aircraft.
A spokesman said the incident took place at Terminal 1 shortly after the plane had landed from Manchester. Greenpeace said the plane involved was a British Airways flight from Manchester to Heathrow.
A spokesman added: "The whole area is now surrounded by police."
Greenpeace said the incident took place at 9.45am on Monday, adding that the protesters had covered the plane's tailfin with a huge banner that read: "Climate Emergency - No Third Runway."
The two women and two male activists waited until all the passengers had disembarked from the one-hour flight before walking through double doors at the terminal, crossing an area of tarmac and climbing stairs on to the fuselage.
One of the protesters, Anna Jones, 27, from Leeds, said: "I am standing on this plane because our planet and the people who live on it are in danger. Climate change can be beaten but not by almost doubling the size of the world's biggest airport.
"The scientists say we only have 100 months to get emissions down so we are here to draw a line in the sand and tell Gordon Brown his new runway must not and will not be built.
"I have never done a protest like this before but people need to take a stand and tell the Prime Minister he cannot ignore the science any longer."
The protest came two days before the end of a Government consultation into Heathrow expansion. Greenpeace claimed the process of consultation was "fixed".
