The leader of Richmond Council has branded Heathrow’s pledge that they would ban night-time flights, should expansion get the go-ahead, a ‘feeble emotional bribe’.

The airport today unveiled plans, should the Government approve expansion, to add more flights while construction is underway.

This would introduce 25,000 extra flights from the airport, while it claims an imposed vehicle emissions charge will reduce congestion in the local area.

It would also push back the earliest flights to 5.30am.

Lord True, Richmond council leader, said: “Yet again this is another feeble emotional bribe from Heathrow.

“They have cherry-picked one of the many valid reasons against expansion and made woolly commitments that they simply cannot deliver. Londoners should not be fooled.

“The bottom line is that 25,000 flights will still damage the environment and cause much distress to millions of people in West London.

“We have now waited long enough for this decision.”

He reiterated the statement he and the leaders of Wandsworth and Hillingdon councils made – that they would fight an expansion in the courts.

A Heathrow spokesman said: “Expanding Heathrow will make west London more prosperous with thousands of new local jobs and apprenticeships. “And we’ll do it while making the airport quieter and protecting the considerable environmental commitments we have made.”