An action group has lodged an appeal at the High Court against the government's decision to allow Lydd Airport to expand.

Airport bosses want to extend the runway and build a new terminal for around half a million passengers each year.

But the Lydd Airport Action Group, is hoping to quash the decision announced last month.

The airport, on Romney Marsh, wants a 960ft runway expansion for passenger jets and a new terminal building for 500,000 passengers a year.

Its controversial bid for planning permission was first submitted more than six years ago and faced strong opposition by some residents, environmentalists and the RSPB.

A public inquiry ended in September 2011 and it was announced in April ministers have agreed with a planning inspector's recommendation to grant approval for the £25million development.

It was hoped construction work on the runway would begin soon after.

Damian Collins, who represents Folkestone and Hythe, hailed the approval - which will bring a jobs boost to the area - as "excellent" when it was announced.

He added: "The expansion allows the runway to be lengthened so flights can be operated over a longer distance.

"At the moment planes are only allowed to fly as far as the south of France, but this will allow flights further into Europe, into Spain and open up a lot more routes."

But the Campaign to Protect Rural England said the decision will "irreversibly damage the wildlife habitat and beautiful landscape unique to the area".

In a separate move, the bird charity RSPB has issued a legal challenge to the decision.

A statement issued, said nearby Dungeness was one of the most important wildlife sites in the world - protected at global, European and UK levels.

It said the area was home to species found hardly anywhere else in the UK. It was also a crossroads for migrating birds stopping off on their epic global journeys.

"After careful consideration we have now issued a legal challenge to the Secretary of State's decision. Chris Corrigan, RSPB South East regional director, said: Speaking as the challenge was submitted,

"The stakes are too high to risk the future of one of our best and most important places for nature without testing the basis for this decision which we consider to be flawed."