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POLICE in full riot gear have surrounded BAA's headquarters near Heathrow Airport.

Red and white police tape has been used to seal off the building in Mondial Way, off Bath Road, with armoured officers in a ring around it to prevent Climate Camp activists getting in.

Although some protesters are at the scene, police currently outnumber them, with around 30 vans on site.

Activists have formed a human star and unfurled a banner which reads: "Cheap flights, cheap lives?"

Elijah Smith, 41, travelled from Brighton to take part in Climate Camp. He said: "I have got five children and I wanted to protest against climate change for them.

"I can see the changes happening right now and if we did nothing about it, we wouldn't have a hope."

Ben Morton a BAA spokesman said: "We were aware of what the protesters were going to do beforehand.

"We're pleased the demonstration has been relatively peaceful and that we have been able to continue operating smoothly."

He said only a skeleton staff remained inside BAA headquarters and the company had been able to run its normal operations from the airport. He said there had not been much disruption during the day.

Police have reportedly isolated a group of protesters near BAA's headquarters following an earlier clash.

More updates will appear throughout the day on this site from our reporters at the scene of the protest.