People had to be locked out of a protest rally against plans for Heathrow expansion such was the demand for entry.

More than 3,000 people squeezed in to the Hacan ClearSkies meeting at Central Halls, Westminster, where Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, Conservative shadow secretary of state for the environment Peter Ainsworth, Hayes and Harlington MP John McDonnell, Richmond Park MP Susan Kramer, Twickenham MP Vince Cable and Hounslow councillor and lead member for avaition Barbera Reid all spoke of their opposition to expansion.

Conspicuous by their absence were any representatives from Spelthorne Council executive and MP David Wilshire.

In addition to a third runway, the expansion plans seek to end runway alteration.

At the meeting were several members of Stanwell Moor Residents' Association.

Chairman Kathleen Croft, of Horton Road, said: "If we lose alteration it would be absolutely terrible. At the moment we have some peace, but I am regularly awoken at 4.20am and between 4.20am and 5.27am I counted 17 planes land.

"I've written to Wilshire because he made a comment saying that we were all for it.

"Parts of Spelthorne may be but certainly not in Stanwell Moor. We are very disappointed in him and don't believe he has circulated his surveys to 100,000 people."

After the meeting Hacan published a new paper attacking the Government's economic argument.

A spokesman for Hacan said: "The assumption that if Heathrow doesn't expand London will lose businesses to other cities is based on the BAA report, the Economic Benefits of Heathrow, hardly an impartial source.

"BAA quote their source as the European Cities Monitor 2007'.

"The main finding was London has increased its margin over Paris as Europe's top city to locate a business. Hardly proof for a new runway.

"The report shows factors considered most important by the 500 top businessmen interviewed were: availability of qualified staff; access to markets and quality of telecommunications with external transport links in fourth place."