Greenpeace buys Heathrow runway land

LONDON (Reuters) - Greenpeace says it has bought a piece of land on the proposed site of the Heathrow third runway in a bid to thwart the expansion plans.

It comes as Ministers near a decision on whether to approve the controversial 9 billion pound expansion. A decision is expected before the end of the month.

Greenpeace plans to divide the field into thousands of tiny plots, each with a separate owner and may dig networks of tunnels across it.

Emma Thompson, the actress, and Alastair McGowan, the comedian, were among those who signed the deeds to the site last Friday, Greenpeace says.

Greenpeace director John Sauven said in a statement: "As the new owners of the land where the government wants to build the runway, we'll resist all attempts at compulsory purchase and represent millions of people from across the world at any planning inquiry."

In a statement in response to the Greenpeace claim, airport operator BAA, a unit of Spain's Grupo Ferrovial SA, said: "Until the government makes a policy decision, questions around legal standing on potential property purchases are purely hypothetical.

"BAA has put schemes in place to deal with the difficult issues facing local residents and if growth proceeds, we are committed to working with the community in a sensitive manner."

(Reporting by Ben Deighton; Editing by Andre Grenon)