THE company that operates the UK's biggest airports has dismissed Cliffe as an option for a site for new runways.

The British Airports Authority (BAA) said the Government should choose up to three new runways for the South East from a shortlist of existing airports.

A new runway at Heathrow for shorthaul flights, a second runway at Gatwick and two new runways at Stansted airport were the options suggested by BAA. The news will delight campaigners who have been protesting about the £7 billion Government proposals for a new airport in north Kent.

Mike Clasper, who takes over as BAA chief executive next month, said: "Clearly where a runway is built there are severe impacts on the local community and we've got to try and control them. But the important thing is to minimise the amount of damage that is done across the whole of the South East.

"If we were to go into these new sites we would have to start all afresh and build dramatically new infrastructures than would be needed by expanding the existing sites."

Cllr Rodney Chambers, leader of Medway Council, is calling on the Government to drop Cliffe as an option following the BAA announcement. He said: "BAA has reached the same conclusions as Medway Council. A five-runway airport at Cliffe is a non-starter.

"I would now like to see the Secretary of State remove his sword of Damocles which has been hanging over the people of Medway for the past year.

"I want him to save and protect the peninsula for future generations to enjoy this unique area of land, and for the tens of thousands of migrating birds which visit the estuary and nest on the marshes."

But despite BAA's announcement, Transport secretary Alistair Darling said Cliffe had not been ruled out as a site for a new airport.

He said BAA was just one of the organisations being consulted by the Government over future airport development.

He said: "We will publish a White Paper at the end of the year and will not be making any decisions before then."