The environmental limits of Heathrow have been reached by Terminal Five - anything further would be intolerable, not just for my constituents, but the whole of London

John McDonnell Labour MP

The European Court of Human Rights ruled last year in favour of eight residents who claimed the nightly flights were an unjustifiable infringement of their human rights.

But the UK government has no immediate plans to ban the flights and has recently been given leave to appeal against the court's decision.

Members of Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise (Hacan) ClearSkies say they will also use the coalition to press ministers to keep to an annual limit of 480,000 flights into and out of the airport once Terminal Five opens in around 2007.

Flight cap

It was a limit accepted by Transport Secretary Stephen Byers after public inquiry inspector Roy Vandermeer made his recommendation to give the terminal the go-ahead.

Hacan chairman John Stewart, who presided over the coalition launch at Westminster, said: "We will put pressure on the government to ensure that the flight limit cap at Heathrow is kept to and that night flights come to an end."

I and a lot of other people aren't prepared to sit back and allow the economy of my constituency to be wrecked

David Wilshire Tory MP

Labour MP John McDonnell, whose Hayes and Harlington constituency includes Heathrow, warned: "If the 480,000 limit is not adhered to, there will be pressure for a third runway at Heathrow."

This would mean the demolition of 4,000 homes and four villages being over-run, he said.

Londoner's rights

"The environmental limits of Heathrow have been reached by Terminal Five - anything further would be intolerable, not just for my constituents, but the whole of London."

Michael Trend, the Tory MP for Windsor who has campaigned for a complete ban on night-flights, said he was not convinced by Mr Byers' assurances over the maximum number of flights.

Tonge: Fight against night flights must continue

Liberal Democrat Jenny Tonge, MP for Richmond Park, stressed: "We must, must get the government to stick to these limits.

"We must also carry on the fight on night flights."

Darren Johnson, Green Party leader on the GLA, said he was shocked that the government was appealing against the European Court's decision.

"It is wrong that the government is putting the rights of big business before the rights of ordinary Londoners."

'Deeply stunned'

But David Wilshire, Tory MP for Spelthorne and not a coalition member, disagreed.

"I am deeply stunned, but not surprised ... that I have not heard a single word about those people who work at the airport."

From about 4am we are disturbed, awoken and kept awake by, on average, 16 flights a night

Philippa Edmunds East Twickenham resident

Mr Wilshire said he wanted to see night flights phased out, but argued that many people depended on Heathrow and used it.

He added: "I and a lot of other people aren't prepared to sit back and allow the economy of my constituency to be wrecked."

Dermot Cox, former Hacan chairman, said people would have the "right to take direct action" if the 480,000 flight limit was exceeded.

Philippa Edmunds, one of the eight litigants who claimed the nightly flights violated her human rights, told BBC News Online: "We have a right to be able to sleep."

Mrs Edmunds, 47, who for 10 years has lived in East Twickenham, a kilometre away from the flight path, said: "As it stands at the moment, from about 4am we are disturbed, awoken and kept awake by, on average, 16 flights a night.

'Zombie'

"You can't really go to bed early enough to compensate for being woken up. It is just relentless and it makes you tired and irritable.

"We have had to have double glazing put in. Even when it is 30 degrees in the summer, you still have to have your windows closed because of the noise and we have to wear ear plugs."

Mrs Edmunds, a PR campaigner, who lives with her husband Nick and daughters Lucy, 10, and Eve, eight, says she fears that the youngsters' studies will be affected by the interruption of their sleep.

Hacan vice chairman Monica Robb, 71, who has lived in Brentford for 12 years, said: "If I can't get back to sleep at 4.30am, I do feel a bit like a zombie."