ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners have told British Airports Authority to put up or shut up' following threats that Terminal 5 will not go ahead unless airlines pay more to use Heathrow.

Campaigners have this week poured scorn on claims made by BAA's chief executive Mike Hodgkinson over the weekend that the airport operator does not have sufficient funding to go ahead with Terminal 5.

Commenting on the project in last Sunday's Financial Mail Mr Hodgkinson said that unless its regulatory bodies, the Civil Aviation Authority and the Competitions Commission - which are currently reviewing the rates, allow it to double the landing fees it charges airlines using the airport, it will not be able to raise the £2.5 billion needed to complete the terminal.

This would put an additional 16,000 jobs in doubt and devastate expansion plans by the airports biggest user British Airways.

Mr Hodgkinson said: "If we can't raise the money, we can't build the terminal. I have to go to the market to raise £3 billion. What banker is going to lend me £3 billion if he can't get his interest covered?"

Having already raised £1.3 billion, he said without the rise BAA would be unable to get additional backing for the scheme,. He said: "If we don't have the regulation and we can't raise the money we can't spend it. It is very simple."

However Mr Hodgkinson's threats have been condemned by Hacan ClearSkies chairman, John Stewart, whose members fought the T5 proposals until the government gave it the go ahead last year.

He said: "It's astonishing that Terminal 5, which was the subject of a four year public inquiry - is now being used as a bartering chip for BAA to get more money.

"BAA have always said that T5 was essential - it's time to put up or shut up."

Meanwhile a spokeswoman for <a href="http://www.hounslow.gov.uk/">Hounslow Council</a>, said: "It would have been better if they had thought this out before the inquiry but without T5 there will probably be no third runway - so this would be good news for the borough."

She said it was unlikely that the threatened reduction in job opportunities would damage Hounslow and would take pressure off its already crowded housing market from workers moving closer to the airport.

"We have always said no to T5 because of the negative effect it will have on the borough, and to this day, we have seen no compensation from the government.

"Yes it might lead to job losses but not in this area. The problem we have is where to house these people because a lot of the new airport workers will want to live in Hounslow and there is already enough pressure on the housing market here. The negatives of T5 outweigh the positives."