A ban on protests at Heathrow Airport has been backed by a campaign group supporting the airport’s expansion.

The High Court granted an injunction preventing protests on land owned by Heathrow in a bid to deter environmental protests from campaigns such as Just Stop Oil. It means any protesters trespassing could face prosecution for breaking the court order.

The Back Heathrow group – a campaign that supports a third runway and has been funded by the airport – supported the ban.

The campaign’s executive director Parmjit Dhanda said: “The summer has arrived, so hard-working families want to take their holidays.

“Now they can take comfort knowing they won’t be denied boarding by Just Stop Oil or similar groups. It’s a victory for common sense, and a victory for ordinary people who work hard all year round.”

Mr Dhanda said that efforts to make air travel greener should be done without ‘causing havoc.’

He said: “I agree we must decarbonise aviation, but instead of causing havoc for passengers, we need to speed up aviation’s progress to net-zero, with more commitment to sustainable aviation fuels.”

In an almost identical quote, a Heathrow Airport spokesperson said: “We agree that aviation must decarbonise, however disrupting people's well-earned travel plans with irresponsible action is not the way to deliver the transition to net zero.”

But Just Stop Oil said disruptive action had proved ‘highly effective’ at bringing about change – and that the impact of climate change would cause worse disruption to people’s lives.

A spokesperson said: “History shows us that disruptive action is highly effective at bringing about social change, and the disruption caused by Just Stop Oil equates to very little when compared to the disruption being imposed on all of us by fossil fuel companies and the politicians that work for them.

“In order to protect our families and communities from the catastrophic effects of climate breakdown, governments must urgently sign an international, legally binding treaty to stop extracting and burning oil, gas and coal by 2030.”

The Back Heathrow campaign was set up in 2013 with funding from Heathrow Airport, and was headed at the time by Heathrow PR staff, according to a report by the Sunday Times.

A Back Heathrow spokesperson said the campaign is a ‘community organisation representing over 100,000 local people.’

Although its stated aim is to support the airport’s expansion, the spokesperson said it also welcomed the protest ban in support of airport staff.

The spokesperson said: “Our concern is that protest groups who regularly break the law prevent those of our supporters who work at the airport from carrying out their jobs.

“We, of course, recognise the importance of freedom of expression and welcome protests legitimately carried out.”