A group of campaigners have won the right to bring a legal challenge against Gatwick flight paths, which they say are causing "intolerable" noise for residents in west Kent.

Last year protest group Gatwick Obviously Not submitted a bid for a judicial review against the way the new routes had been brought in, but it was rejected by the High Court.

Now, a senior judge has overruled the decision and announced the case will be heard in the Appeal Court, as the outcome may impact on other airports around the country.

Chair of the action group, Martin Barraud, launched the judicial review against the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as he believed it failed to carry out a public consultation before advising the Transport Secretary about flight path alterations.

However, the CAA said it could not intervene in tactical operational decisions made by air traffic controllers and that the action was "without merit".

Mr Barraud said route changes led to a narrowing of inbound paths into Gatwick and an increase in the number of low-level flights travelling over the west of the county.

He said this more than doubled the number of inbound planes flying over his Penshurst home.

Mr Barraud said he is delighted the group has won its appeal to take the judicial review to a full substantive hearing.

In an announcement on Gatwick Obviously Not's website he thanked his legal team and donors who have contributed funds to the campaign.

He said: "Our barristers John Steel QC and James Potts of 39 Essex Chambers, and our solicitor, Chad Sutton of Maples Teesdale deserve enormous credit for guiding us to this very significant moment; they could not have been more engaged, professional or focussed in helping us try to secure justice for us all.

"Our donors, you, have been equally magnificent. In that dramatic first week back in February we received pledges of over £100,000 from those living in the villages to the west of Tunbridge Wells.

"We followed this by launching our Crowd Funding site last year."

So far the campaign has raised more than £41,000.

In August more than a thousand people gathered in a to field protest against changes to Gatwick's flight paths.

Campaigners travelled in their hundreds from around the county to unveil a 100ft sign which could be read by passengers arriving at the London airport.

Some even came from as far as Surrey and Sussex.

Video: Hundreds of people gathered for the protest

Gatwick Obviously not hoped the sign, which read "Gatwick how low can you go" would send a stern message to the aviation industry.

The brief, but powerful message, was structured with hay bales at Rogues Hill in Penshurst.

It is thought the appeal will go before three judges at the Appeal Court later this year.