A former Richmond councillor who is now a Liberal Democrat peer in the House of Lords has spoken out against Heathrow's Terminal 5 as the public inquiry rumbles on.

In a Lords debate last week, Baroness Sally Hamwee pleaded with the Government to understand the impact which expanding Heathrow would have on residents in Richmond and other boroughs.

She said: "When people are told that an increased number of flights is not in itself disturbing or that the term `night' has been redefined in order to allow more sleep-disrupting flights, they feel betrayed.

"The only solution is to ban all night flights to let residents at least escape 24-hour misery."

But the Government looks likely to maintain the current regime of night flights despite the opposition of public figures like Baroness Hamwee and Richmond Council leader David Williams.

Mr Williams said: "We want night flights stopped at Heathrow because commercially they are not necessary."

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