Heathrow demo - Bexhill reaction

Former teacher Pete Caunter, 54, of Newlands Avenue, says taking part in Sunday's centrepiece day of action around the BAA building was worthwhile despite having spent far longer trying to get to the site than he did taking part in the demonstration.

Ironically, he is the son of a former BEA pilot. But he feels that the damage air travel is doing to the environment means that "luxury" flying should be restricted.

He said: "I was very disappointed by the police action. I was expecting to have a big, noisy, peaceful demonstration."

He said the police policy appeared to be to attempt to split the demonstrators.

"One group was totally surrounded by riot police on the street and kept there for two hours.

"I went to ask three police officers on what grounds they were holding them there.

"I believe people should be arrested if they have done something wrong - not held when they haven't done anything wrong.

"But the demonstration achieved quite a bit of publicity -which is what it was all about.

"It took ages to get there. I only had four hours altogether taking part.

"I took the train from Bexhill and the tube to Heathrow. It is the first time I had been there since 1970 and it took me ages to get out to the camp, bus journeys and a lot of walking."

After giving up teaching, Mr Caunter worked for 10 years for the Pedestrians Association - now Living Streets.

"The organisation promotes the idea of functional walking and the national Walking To School campaign."

He is a member of Friends of the Earth and the anti-Link Road group the Hastings Alliance but took part in the Heathrow demonstration as a private individual.

"My dad, going back a few years, was a pilot based at Heathrow. My total flying amounts to five or six double trips in my life. I last flew in 1990 to Jersey for a wedding - because there was no other way of getting there."

He believes flying has to be restricted if climate change is to be halted.

"That's not to say that I wouldn't fly if, for example, to see a sick relative.

"There is no doubt to my time that flying has now got to be reduced to save the environment. We have to cut down on the unnecessary flights that people take - say more than one holiday a year.

"People do not realise that the climate is changing. "