ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners in Pinocchio-style long noses yesterday protested outside the annual general meeting of airports operator BAA, claiming the company was economical with the truth and had broken promises.

ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners in Pinocchio-style long noses yesterday protested outside the annual general meeting of airports operator BAA, claiming the company was economical with the truth and had broken promises.

About a dozen protesters from Friends of the Earth (FoE) wore the noses outside the QE2 Conference Centre in Westminster.

FoE aviation campaigner Paul de Zylva said: "We are protesting over the company's broken promises. For example, during the Heathrow Terminal 5 public inquiry, BAA repeatedly claimed that T5 would not lead to a third runway, but now they are backing one.

"We think they have broken promises and are economical with the truth."

There were also some protesters from the group Stop Stansted Expansion.

Mike Fairchild, 64, of Little Hadham, near Stansted, said: "We want an end to expansion at all South East airports. We want introduction of a tax on aviation fuel to dampen demand so no more expansion is necessary.'

One campaigner against the expansion of Stansted, Brian Ross, a private shareholder, was expected to challenge the company to allow shareholders to vote on free parking permits worth more than £1,300 a year, which he says are currently given to a total of 837 MPs, MEPs and members of the House of Lords.

He claims that this is a £1.1m-a-year political donation which needs shareholder approval.