LEEDS Bradford Airport has been granted a High Court injunction banning fossil fuel and environmental activists from protesting at the site.

Leeds Bradford Airport, London Luton Airport and Newcastle International Airport were today given injunctions prohibiting protesters from trespassing or causing a nuisance at the three locations.

Timothy Morshead KC, representing the airports, said activists from organisations such as Just Stop Oil (JSO) and Extinction Rebellion (ER) posed a serious threat to passengers and there was a "real and imminent risk of disruption".

Mr Morshead added that Leeds Bradford Airport had offered a space for protesters to gather - but the groups had so far not used it.

Granting the injunctions, Mr Justice Ritchie said JSO and ER's "threats had a history of being seen through".

He described a recent incident at Stansted Airport where JSO activists caused £52,000 worth of damage to private planes sprayed with orange paint.

He also warned that "the threat of terrorism is facilitated by the disruption and chaos", adding: "JSO and ER have made good on their threats and have come at an enormous cost to the taxpayer and private financial expense, and disruption at oil terminals, roads, sports events and their threats potentially at airports."

The injunctions will last for five years and be reviewed every 12 months.

Following the ruling, a spokesperson for Leeds Bradford Airport said: "The safety of passengers, our colleagues and the public are paramount.

"This injunction protects our passengers, staff and business partners, and reduces the risk of disruption of passengers looking forwards to their holidays."

The spokesperson added: "We wholeheartedly support the decarbonisation of aviation and recognise that the right to protest is a fundamental and important human right. 

"However, disrupting people's travel plans and causing potentially fatal safety risks with irresponsible action is not the way to deliver the transition to net zero.

"Seeking an injunction is not a decision we've taken lightly, but we cannot condone activity that endangers the safety of our passengers and colleagues."

The injunction extends to all land and buildings forming part of Leeds Bradford Airport and means that all forms of trespass and protest within those boundaries will be subject to severe legal penalties.

Leeds Bradford Airport, located in Yeadon, opened in 1931.

Now welcoming more than four million passengers a year, the airport plans to welcome seven million a year by 2030.