Birds, bombs and other better runways – these are the primary concerns from KentOnline readers about Boris Johnson’s idea of building a new airport off the coast of Sheppey.

The Mayor of London has commissioned feasibility studies for putting a four-runway airport on a new, man-made island in the Thames Estuary to cut numbers going through Heathrow.

And most of you don’t like it one bit.

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Nick, from Margate, said: “Surely Manston or Lydd airports would be far better placed to handle this idea? They're already in place. Building an island off Sheppey is just daft and hardly a green approach."

Andy Newell, from Herne Bay, added: "What an absolute load of nonsense and waste of taxpayers' money doing a feasibility study on this complete and utter folly would be."

The current economic climate was not lost on Larkfield's Rob Brown, who said: "Is there a need for more airports when the air industry is struggling to survive?”

And there was concern about the impact on the RSPB reserves in the area. Margaret Graham on the Isle of Sheppey, said: "An airport will be damaging to the environment here.

"Also, with the noise pollution an airport will create for the local residents, I will fight tooth and nail before they disturb our peaceful island. It’s bad enough with the housing prices falling without planning an airport nearby."

There was also great concern about the implication of building an airport in the vicinity of the sunken SS Montgomery and the thousands of unexploded bombs and ammunition beneath the waves.

Ron, from London, argued: "Unless the wreck is removed (after evacuating Sheppey for three months while it is carried out) it is a disaster waiting to happen as it has been for the last 64 years."

One of our visitors from France, John, added wryly: "With Sheppy evacuated for three months while the Mongomery is cleared, a subtle plan would be to save money and use Sheppy instead of building a new island!"

But it wasn’t all bad news for Boris’ plans. Dartford resident John Ash wrote: "In this 21st century the buzz words are 'Service by Replacement'… - once past the use by date, poke at it no more and get a new one.

"So it should with an airport that is 60-years-old and a mishmash of bits'n'pieces. Turn a new page and start over, and whilst at it, sack BAA and run the airport on a not for profit organisation like Network Rail. Come on Boris show us what you are made of."

However, John Whiting, of east Kent, was having none of the Mayor’s plans.

"Boris Johnson should stick to being Mayor of London and not try and stick his 'oar' in concerning a possible airport somewhere offshore in the Thames Estuary," he said.

"Someone here has commented that Manston is a runner - here's another non-starter…you can only really get at it from one point on the compass, and you haven't got to go too far west before Gatwick is closer. Try again people."