A report claims Heathrow and Gatwick have been ruled out

According to a newspaper report, Stansted has been chosen ahead of Heathrow as the airport to spearhead the government's drive to increase air travel capacity in the South East.

Claims have been made that expansion at Heathrow would not be possible without breaking European pollution laws.

This would leave Stansted favourite to get the first new airport runway in the London area for nearly 20 years, according to the Financial Times.

Legal threat

But if Stansted is chosen, the government will face a fight from some of the country's airlines as well as pressure groups in Essex.

Norman Mead, chairman of the Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) campaign, told BBC London if Stansted was now top of the government's list, the Transport Secretary Alistair Darling had made a mistake.

He said: "The whole thing is totally undeliverable for the economic and environmental reasons which SSE and the aviation industry have made very clear to Mr Darling."

The group argued the road and rail infrastructure around Stansted would not be able to deal with additional usage and claimed the extra pollution generated would be unacceptable.

People living near Stansted have been vocal opponents of expansion

"It is not the either or situation which the press seem to feel it is: Stansted or Heathrow.

"It's one which must be argued and considered on a case by case basis including all options. This is what we understood Mr Darling was doing and I'm sure he is."

Mr Darling is expected to disclose his choice for the new runway in a 30-year strategy for the British aviation industry in December.

The decision could face legal action from some of the country's leading airlines who favour expansion at either Heathrow or Gatwick.

Andrew Cahn, director of government and industry affairs at British Airways, told the FT: "Building at Stansted first would be an historic mistake.

"It would delay the expansion of Heathrow for a generation and condemn British aviation to long term decline."