RESIDENTS have reacted with fury to reports that BAA Ferrovial is to fast track a third runway at Heathrow.

A third runway at Heathrow was put on the back burner following the publication of the Aviation While Paper in 2003 because of fears that, if it was built, pollution levels in the Heathrow areas would exceed the EU legal limits.

BAA Ferrovial decided, instead, to proceed with a second runway at Stansted.

But Stephen Nelson, chief executive of BAA Ferrovial, told the Sunday Times last week it was looking at "twin-tracking" the proposed runways at Heathrow and Stansted - contrary to previous government and BAA policy, which put Stansted first, with Heathrow to follow only after 2015.

In the next few months the Department for Transport is expected to publish its Project Heathrow Report, a study which reassess future airport pollution levels around the airport if a third runway were to be built. Consultation would follow publication of that study.

A third runway would increase flight numbers at Heathrow to 720,000 a year from last year's level of 473,000.

At least 700 homes to be demolished and would result in over 150,000 people in London and the Home Counties experiencing disturbing levels of aircraft noise for the first time.

John Stewart, chairman of residents group HACAN ClearSkies, said: "If BAA decides to proceed with its proposals to built a third runway, there will be the mother of all environmental battles.

"I have no doubt residents will take to the streets."

Mr Stewart added that the opposition to further expansion at Heathrow is wide-ranging. It includes 2M, the local authority group representing two million people under the flight path, the Mayor of London, nearly all MPs in the area as well as direct action organisations such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth.