A VEHEMENT attack on the government's plans to treble the number of night flights from Heathrow has been launched by Susan Kramer.

The Liberal Democrats' prospective parliamentary candidate for Richmond Park berated the Department of Transport for considering proposals that could see the average number of flights departing between 11.30pm and 6am rise from 16 to nearly 50 next October.

She said: "The night flights that go over at present are enough to disturb a night's sleep. Few local people will be comforted by hearing that the new limit could be as many as 50.

"It still amazes me that airlines which try and attract passengers by promising them a good night's sleep aboard seem to be quite happy denying the rest of us a good night's sleep."

Current rules state that the total amount of flight noise must not exceed a certain quota but the government is hoping to compromise by banning the loudest aircraft and increasing the number of so-called 'quiet' jets - planes which produce less noise as a result of having modified exhaust systems.

However, Ms Kramer denied that the developments would have a significant effect on noise levels. "Even if all of these are required to be 'quiet' planes," she said, "they are quite capable of waking up a lot of residents living under the flight path."

Twickenham MP Vincent Cable also had harsh words for the government's plans, calling them "unnecessary provocation".

He said: "For those residents under the flight path, this reported proposal will be very worrying. It is only a few months since the issue of night flights came before the European Court of Justice and residents still feel very passionately about sleep deprivation.

"Night flights are caused almost exclusively by the government's wish to appease British Airways over a handful of far eastern flights. Far from expanding them, the government should be seeking to phase them out."

The Department of Transport is scheduled to discuss the proposals in early 2005, the same time as protest groups such as HACAN Clearskies hope to launch the Million Signature Petition, which will call for a ban on night flights at all European airports.

John Stewart, chairman of Clearskies, said: "It's a con trick to argue that quieter jets meaning an increase in night flights doesn't matter. Medical research shows that night flights damage people's health because they cannot get a good night's sleep."

A department spokesman admitted that the proposals were due to be discussed but moved to assuage residents' fears by insisting that the proposed number of night flights was not as large as had been suggested.

He said: "It could be more than 16 flights a night, but it's highly unlikely it would get anywhere near to 50."