BACK Heathrow campaigners have reacted angrily to Hillingdon Council’s decision not to forward post on the subject of airport expansion to councillors.

More than 1,200 signed campaign cards were delivered to the reception desk of the Civic Centre on January 31. The cards were addressed to named councillors by individual residents in their wards.

But the cards did not reach the borough’s 65 councillors. Instead, they were returned to the Back Heathrow office.

Ali Berry, who signed a card, said: “I am furious. I handed in response slips to represent my views and the views of other residents from Harefield. This is an affront to local democracy.”

Keith Hendry, from Hayes, said: “Cllr Puddifoot [council leader] is desperate to quash all debate on Heathrow expansion. He is out on a limb and out of touch with Hillingdon’s residents.“Councillors shouldn’t be banned from receiving correspondence just because it goes against the grain of the leader’s thinking.”

Back Heathrow executive director Parmjit Dhanda said: “Councillor Puddifoot has every right to oppose Heathrow expansion, but this is rather eccentric behaviour.

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“It effectively means elected councillors are banned by the leader from receiving correspondence from their residents. It doesn’t show local democracy in a London borough in a good light.”

The campaign cards declare support for a new runway and urge councillors to end the expense of opposing the project.

A council spokesman said: "At the local elections in May 2018, the Conservative administration in Hillingdon stated in their election manifesto: 'We will continue to lead on and support local residents once again threatened with additional noise and air pollution and the devastating effect on local communities of an expanded Heathrow Airport'.

"We have set aside sufficient funding to fight the proposed third runway at Heathrow through the various courts in the years ahead, should this be required, and we are confident it will again be defeated. Accordingly, this is council policy.

"Back Heathrow Ltd are a sham organisation who spend millions of pounds from undisclosed sources on dubious campaigns.

"Accordingly the council regard this organisation as spurious puppets of Heathrow Airport Ltd and refuse to have any dealings with them."