Extinction Rebellion (XR) has continued its campaign against the reopening of Manston airport with a socially-distanced protest near the airstrip.

Thanet activists spread their message in silence from the A299 roadside with banners reading 'No jobs on a dying Thanet' and 'We can't eat money'.

They claim that the reoepning of the Kent airport is an "environmentally-damaging scheme" which puts "investors before the community."

And they believe the toots given by drivers who saw them at both the Minster and Cliffsend roundabouts of the Thanet Way and on Hengist Way, shows locals agree.

A spokesman said: "If the toots of support each protest site received from passing motorists reflects wider opinion on the proposed Manston freight hub, then Thanet ’s two MPs – Sir Roger Gale and Craig Mackinlay – may have misjudged the local mood.

"Too many of our local political leaders have campaigned for this environmentally-damaging scheme – which planning and aviation experts have deemed commercially unviable – at any cost, putting the interests of a small group of investors and supporters before that of the wider community.

"Manston is not needed, but is being sold to local people on the extremely dubious promise of jobs.

"What our political leaders need to understand is that if we kill the planet, there will be no jobs."

It forms part of a day of concerted action by climate demonstrators across the globe, and follows a similar protest held in August.

Manston Airport closed for business in 2014 and has since found itself at the centre of a tug-of-war over its future.

The government granted a Development Consent Order enabling the airport, owned by RiverOak Strategic Partners (RSP), to reopen.

However, the planning inspectorate, which provides recommendations and advice on applications, had advised against the plans - but this was overruled by the Secretary of State in an approval letter which stated there was "a clear case of need for the development".

RSP plans to launch in April 2023 and bosses say it will be primarily air freight, handling at least 10,000 air cargo movements per year.

It was later confirmed passenger flights run by low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and EasyJet will start around two years later, handling about one million passengers a year.

The facility expects to create thousands of jobs and the owners say it will give east Kent a £300 million boost and provide an alternative to the London airports network.

The environmental activist group believes the scheme poses serious environmental and health risks and that communities across Kent are likely to be adversely affected by the flight paths proposed, including Deal and Whitstable .

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