THIRTEEN climate campaigners who blocked a Heathrow runway in protest at the airport’s planned expansion were spared jail yesterday.

The environmental activists had been found guilty in January of aggravated trespass, after entering a security-restricted area of Britain’s largest airport last summer.

Graham Thompson, Danielle Paffard, Rebecca Sanderson, Richard Hawkins, Kara Moses, Ella Gilbert, Melanie Strickland, Sheila Menon, Cameron Kaye, Edward Thacker, Alastair Tamlit, Sam Sender and Robert Basto were each given a six-week sentence suspended for 12 months.

All are members of environmental group Plane Stupid, which campaigns against Heathrow’s proposed third runway.

After the hearing, Mr Thompson said: “The court said we should prepare for immediate custodial sentences, the court said they were almost inevitable, but all the support we’ve received seems to have changed their minds.

“Now we’re asking all those who supported us to support stopping new runways.

“Cameron has changed his mind before on this. It shouldn’t be too difficult to change it again.”

Last July, the protesters — known as the Heathrow 13 — chained themselves to a metal structure inside the airport, forcing the cancellation of 25 flights and costing the airport an estimated £14,000.

All will now have to do between 120 and 180 hours of community service and are banned from going within 500 yards of any Heathrow airport terminal.

During the hearing, defence barrister Kirsty Brimelow QC drew comparisons between the Heathrow 13 and campaigners for the women’s vote.

“We have come a long way since the days of the Suffragettes, since those people would have been locked up and treated appallingly,” she said.

Ms Brimelow also added that the group had acted on “deeply held beliefs” as “people of real conscience who care about the planet.”

Dozens of people waited all day outside Willesden magistrates’ court to show support for the environmentalists.

Among them were shadow chancellor John McDonnell and Green Party MP Caroline Lucas.

Mr McDonnell, whose Hayes and Harlington constituency includes the airport, told the crowds he had campaigned against a third runway for nearly 13 years.

He said he was “in 100 per cent solidarity” with the Heathrow 13, who had showed the local community opposed to the runway that the issue was not a small issue but “actually a struggle for the planet itself.”