PEOPLE turned out in their droves to show their opposition to proposals for an airport in the Thames Estuary.

It also emerged at a meeting held by the Gravesham East Neighbourhood Forum, that details on a second bridge at Dartford - the so-called Third Thames Crossing - will be announced in the next six months.

Members of the public were invited to Thamesview School in Gravesend last night (May 15) to discuss renewed calls by Mayor of London Boris Johnson to build an airport in the estuary.

While some families in Essex support the idea, residents in north Kent remain dead against it.

Gravesham Council's ward councillor for Chalk Leslie Hills said: "We should shout from the rooftops right now that we are opposed to these proposals.

"We shouldn't lose sight of the fact that lots of people are in favour of it."

George Crowzer, from Friends of North West Kent Marshes, told the meeting: "They don't understand what is in the Thames Estuary, they just see it as a blank canvass.

"We need to put the Thames Estuary in the hearts and the minds of the people of this nation."

Meanwhile Clive Lawrence, from Demand Regeneration in North Kent, said: "It doesn't matter how loudly we make our voices heard, the truth is the decision is going to be taken by number 10.

"Suppose they give the green light to one of the plans, if they do go ahead how prepared are the local councils to deal with that fact?"

He added: "We need lots of jobs and a better environment but without that big project, which could bring a lot of jobs in, there's no public money so how are we going to do that?"

Kent County Council's cabinet member for environment, highways and waste, Councillor Bryan Sweetland, told the meeting he believes proposals for a second bridge at Dartford will be announced in the next six months.

Three potential options were put forward for a lower Thames crossing - from east of Gravesend to Chadwell, between Swancombe Peninsula west of Gravesend and Tilbury or at the existing bridge.

However set against concerns over environmental impact, he said: "We cannot object to an airport in the Thames Estuary if we then support a crossing to the east of Gravesend."