An 84-year-old has won a 14-year compensation battle against Leeds Bradford Airport after claiming the value of her house slumped following a runway extension.

And her solicitor says the victory could open the floodgates for thousands of similar claims against airports all over the country.

In 1985 John and Marie Whitehead asked unsuccessfully for compensation from the airport, claiming increased traffic due to the runway extension the previous year knocked £11,000 off the value of their bungalow.

Mr Whitehead was on a committee of local residents until his death, when his wife took over.

Now the Lands Tribunal in London has told the airport to pay her £2,800 plus compensation - a total of more than £6,000. "I'm very pleased indeed," she said.

"We started it and the solicitors carried on. I think it will have been worth it - but the other people living round here should get some compensation as well, it's not just me

"The extension has brought a lot more planes and they are much nearer when they come down although they are not as loud - unless you get Concorde, then everything vibrates."

The tribunal decision was also welcomed by neighbour Les Ayton, a member of the Leeds Bradford Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise.

He said he believed other residents who lodged a compensation claim with the airport in 1985 would try again and he added: "I will have a go at re-stating my claim now.

"We are obviously quite pleased because it has been a long time and we got tired waiting."

In an 86-page written judgement, the panel said the bungalow in Scotland Way - which Mrs Whitehead has lived in for more than 20 years -had depreciated in value by £2,800.

The airport has been ordered to pay both sets of legal fees, estimated by her solicitor Mark Abrol to be £200,000 each.

He said the tribunal decision could pave the way for more claims from other residents around Leeds Bradford and other airports .

"I have been instructed to act for some others around Leeds Bradford," he said.

"Originally there were several hundred who wanted to claim but it's impossible to say how many will still want to take action.

"The airport may say it is too late for them to claim now but we would argue otherwise.

"I think it's an important decision and it is going to increase public awareness as to their rights.

"I'm hopeful it will also change the attitude of airports generally so they accept the principle that there will be occasions when they have to pay compensation and people should not have to be put to such huge expense to pursue their claims."

The airport's finance and administration executive director Cathy Mason said: "The airport believes there was no detrimental effect to the property and its witnesses put their case to that effect.

"It is the only claim made at the Lands Tribunal and, as far as we are aware, there are no others. The time within which to have made a claim expired around seven years ago.

"Most of the aircraft have been upgraded to jets so we have more modern and less noisy aircraft.

"We also have to meet various planning conditions - which we do - and we operated a noise insulation scheme to benefit local residents."

Lands Tribunal manager Peter Fisher said more than 500 claims had been expected after the alterations - but only the Whitehead's was put forward. "This particular case has been contested at considerable length and in great detail," he said.

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